FAO Director-General addresses High-Level Segment of 19th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests

New York - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today addressed the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19).

Qu was invited to address the High-Level Segment of UNFF19 in New York, along with other heads of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), a voluntary interagency partnership chaired by FAO and designed to support UNFF's work.

Qu said the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 and related Sustainable Development Goals "provide a clear vision of what must be accomplished by 2030."

While there's been progress, we still face many challenges, including meeting the 3 percent increase in global forest coverage goal, Qu said.

With only six years left to achieve our goals, "we urgently need to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable - including our forests and more specifically agri forestry," he said.

The Director-General said FAO looks forward to continuing working together with the Forum, as it sees strong linkages and many potential synergies with its mandate to achieve the Global Forest Goals and Targets, especially the "Four Betters" as set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life - leaving no one behind.

FAO is committed to continuing to support Members in finding the solutions they need, and to assist with concrete action on the ground, including through such initiatives as the Great Green Wall and the FAO Green Cities Initiative, he said.

Speaking as CPF Chair, Qu announced that the theme of the International Day of Forests for 2025 will be "Forests and Foods." The Director-General said the event would offer an important opportunity to champion landscape solutions in synergy that work towards eliminating hunger and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.