UNRIC Library Backgrounder: Forests

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UN Entities

• United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF): https://forests.desa.un.org/
  • Global Forest Goals: https://forests.desa.un.org/global-forest-goals
  • UN Forum on Forests: 5 things you need to know (UN News, 8 May 2023): https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136442
• Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF): https://www.fao.org/collaborative-partnership-on-forests
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – Forestry: https://www.fao.org/forestry/en/
  • Committee on Forestry: https://www.fao.org/forestry/committee-on-forestry/en/
  • Regional Forestry Commissions: https://www.fao.org/forestry/statutory-bodies/regional-forestry-commission/en
• Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) – Forest Biodiversity: https://www.cbd.int/forest/
• Secretariat of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) – Sustainable Forest Management: https://www.thegef.org/what-we-do/topics/sustainable-forest-management
• Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): https://www.unccd.int/
• Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  • REDD Web Platform: https://redd.unfccc.int/
  • Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF): https://unfccc.int/topics/land-use/workstreams/land-use–land-use-change-and-forestry-lulucf
• United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE) – Forestry and Timber: https://www.unece.org/forests/
  • The UN Forest Podcast: https://unece.org/forests/un-forest-podcast
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Forests: https://www.unep.org/topics/forests
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – The World Heritage Forests: https://whc.unesco.org/en/forests
• The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD): https://www.un-redd.org/
• World Bank – Forests and Landscapes: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/forests

UN Observances

• International Day of Forests – 21 March:
  https://www.un.org/esa/forests/outreach/international-day-of-forests/
  https://www.fao.org/international-day-of-forests/en/
• International Year of Forests 2011:
  https://web.archive.org/web/20111227055910/https://www.fao.org/forestry/iyf2011/en/

Selected UN Documents

• United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017-2030 (E/RES/2017/4): https://docs.un.org/E/RES/2017/4
• United Nations forest instrument (A/RES/70/199, adopted on 22 December 2015): https://docs.un.org/A/RES/70/199
• Non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests (A/RES/62/98, 31 January 2008): https://docs.un.org/A/RES/62/98
• Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests (NLBI): https://docs.un.org/E/CN.18/2007/8(SUPP)
• “Forest Principles” (Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests (1992)): https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/154752
• Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 – Combating Deforestation: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf
• Documents of the UN Forum on Forests: https://www.un.org/esa/forests/documents/index.html

Further information

• Sustainable Development Goal 15 – Life on Land: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss:
  https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity/
  https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15
  https://sdgs.un.org/topics/forests
• UN Library Vienna Research Guide – Wildlife and Forest Crime: https://libraryresearch.unvienna.org/wildlifecrime

Selected Statements and Speeches of UN Officials

• Without tropical forests, ‘no path’ to 1.5°c limit on global warming, Secretary-General says at launch of global facility (SG/SM/22900, 6 November 2025): https://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22900.doc.htm
• Protecting forests, oceans ‘smart economics’, Secretary-General says at Climate Summit Thematic Session, calling for action to limit 1.5°c warming overshoot (SG/SM/22901, 6 November 2025): https://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22901.doc.htm
• Secretary-General stresses need for recommitment to healthy forests for healthier livelihoods, in International Day Message (SG/SM/21177, 14 March 2022): https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21177.doc.htm
• Not too late to undo forest damage, Secretary-General Says, in Message for International Day, while warning ‘we risk a point of no return (SG/SM/20635, 19 March 2021): https://press.un.org/en/2021/sgsm20635.doc.htm
• As wildfires, heatwaves sweep globe, urgent action key to stopping alarming rate of deforestation, Secretary-General warns at Alliance for Rainforests Event (SG/SM/19755-ENV/DEV/1994, 23 September 2019): https://press.un.org/en/2019/sgsm19755.doc.htm
• As forests are ‘lungs of planet’, tree-planting contributes to mitigating climate change impact, Secretary-General says at event commemorating International Day (SG/SM/18945-ENV/DEV/1837-OBV/1778, 21 March 2018): https://press.un.org/en/2018/sgsm18945.doc.htm
• Secretary-General warns two thirds of global population could face water-stressed conditions within next decade, in Message for International Forests Day (SG/SM/17610-ENV/DEV/1641-OBV/1589, 18 March 2016): https://press.un.org/en/2016/sgsm17610.doc.htm
• Safeguarding forests will be essential to realizing Sustainable Development Goals, Secretary-General tells Wildland Fire Conference (SG/SM/17220-ENV/DEV/1592, 12 October 2015): https://press.un.org/en/2015/sgsm17220.doc.htm
• In Message for World Congress, Secretary-General says upholding health of forests among greatest challenges facing present, future generations (SG/SM/17052-ENV/DEV/1551, 7 September 2015): https://press.un.org/en/2015/sgsm17052.doc.htm
• Time to get serious about forests in pursuit of ‘balance between man and Nature’, Deputy Secretary-General tells Forum as session opens (DSG/SM/864-ENV/DEV/1514, 4 May 2015): https://press.un.org/en/2015/dsgsm864.doc.htm
• Secretary-General, on International Day of Forests, stresses investment, smart policies essential for building sustainable, climate-resilient future (SG/SM/16597-ENV/DEV/1494-OBV/1435, 16 March 2015): https://press.un.org/en/2015/sgsm16597.doc.htm

Selected Publications available online

• The Global Forest Goals Report 2026 (DESA): https://forests.desa.un.org/documents/global-forest-goals-report-2026
• The State of the World’s Forests: https://www.fao.org/publications/home/fao-flagship-publications/the-state-of-the-worlds-forests/en
• FAO Forestry Publications: https://www.fao.org/forestry/publications/en/
• unasylva: An international journal of forestry and forest industries (FAO): https://www.fao.org/forestry/unasylva/en/
• UNECE Publications – Forests: https://unece.org/publications/forests
• UNEP Publications on Forests: https://tinyurl.com/2ja343c8
• World Bank – Forest Research Publications: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/forests/research

Selected material available on forest / wildfires

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Managing wildfires: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/forests/what-we-do/managing-wildfires

• UNDRR – The invisible costs of wildfire disasters in 2025 (13 January 2026): https://www.undrr.org/news/invisible-costs-wildfire-disasters-2025
• World Bank – Forest fires Are Spreading—and So Must Global Solutions (Opinion, 16 June 2025): https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2025/06/16/forest-fires-are-spreading-and-so-must-global-solutions
• UNDRR – Europe steps up wildfire preparedness with new integrated strategy (27 May 2025): https://www.undrr.org/news/europe-steps-wildfire-preparedness-new-integrated-strategy
• UNU-INWEH – January 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires: A Wake-Up Call as ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Events Become Frequent (27 May 2025): https://unu.edu/inweh/news/january-2025-los-angeles-wildfires-wake-call-once-generation-events-become-frequent
• UNECE – Rising heat, rising risk: managing forest fires in a warming world (14 May 2025): https://unece.org/biodiversity/news/rising-heat-rising-risk-managing-forest-fires-warming-world
• WMO – Wildfires rage in California (10 January 2025): https://wmo.int/media/news/wildfires-rage-california
• UNEP – As wildfires consume South America, experts warn of a new normal (27 September 2024): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/wildfires-consume-south-america-experts-warn-new-normal
• WMO – Vicious circle of climate change, wildfires and air pollution has major impacts (4 September 2024): https://wmo.int/media/news/vicious-circle-of-climate-change-wildfires-and-air-pollution-has-major-impacts
• UNECE Air Convention experts to model wildfire impacts on air pollution (6 May 2024): https://unece.org/media/news/390746
• UNEP – Fighting fire with forests across the Mediterranean (19 March 2024): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/fighting-fire-forests-across-mediterranean
• WMO – Wildfires cause huge loss of life in Chile amid heatwaves in South America (5 February 2024): https://wmo.int/media/news/wildfires-cause-huge-loss-of-life-chile-amid-heatwaves-south-america
• UNECE – Summer wildfire season is becoming longer and more destructive than ever – The UN Forest Podcast (11 October 2023): https://unece.org/media/news/384005
• UNESCO – Stopping Amazonian wildfires before they even occur (9 August 2023): https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/stopping-amazonian-wildfires-they-even-occur
• UN News on frontline of deadly Greece forest fires as WMO declares ‘hottest’ month ever (UN News Interview, 27 July 2023): https://news.un.org/en/audio/2023/07/1139182
• UNU Technical Report: Mediterranean wildfires – Interconnected Disaster Risks 2021/2022: https://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:9025
• UNEP – Air pollution from wildfires expected to surge as world warms (17 November 2022): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/air-pollution-wildfires-expected-surge-world-warms
• WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin highlights impact of wildfires (7 September 2022): https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-air-quality-and-climate-bulletin-highlights-impact-of-wildfires
• UNEP – As climate changes, world grapples with a wildfire crisis (9 March 2022): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/climate-changes-world-grapples-wildfire-crisis
• UNEP – Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires (23 February 2022): https://www.unep.org/resources/report/spreading-wildfire-rising-threat-extraordinary-landscape-fires
• UNEP – Wildfires under climate change: a burning issue (February 2022): https://www.unep.org/resources/frontiers-2022-noise-blazes-and-mismatches
• Climate Change: UNESCO Commits to a new approach to integrated fire management in the region (28 October 2021): https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/climate-change-unesco-commits-new-approach-integrated-fire-management-region
• ‘Best of the last’ tropical forests urgently need protection – joint study by UNDP, NASA and WCS (26 August 2020): https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/news-centre/news/2020/_best-of-the-last-tropical-forests-urgently-need-protection–und.html
• UNEP – Ten impacts of the Australian bushfires (22 January 2020): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/ten-impacts-australian-bushfires
• UNEP – Who turned up the temperature? Climate change, heatwaves and wildfires (17 January 2020): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/who-turned-temperature-climate-change-heatwaves-and-wildfires
• UNEP – Are “megafires” the new normal? (10 January 2020): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/are-megafires-new-normal
• WMO – Australia suffers devastating bushfires (7 January 2020): https://wmo.int/media/news/australia-suffers-devastating-fires-after-hottest-driest-year-record
• Australia bushfire crisis: UNICEF offers help and support (UN News Centre, 6 January 2020): https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1054821
• UNEP – Governments, smart data and wildfires: where are we at? (3 January 2020): https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/governments-smart-data-and-wildfires-where-are-we
• Australia wildfires: communities must stay vigilant, urges UN weather agency (UN News Centre, 12 November 2019): https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1051131
• “The world has never seen a threat to human rights of this scope”: High Commissioner’s update highlights climate threats (OHCHR, 9 September 2019): https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24956
• The Amazon rainforest is burning, but it is food price profiteering that really swings the axe / Inger Andersen, Opinion, The Independent, 30 August 2019: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/amazon-fires-rainforest-food-prices-deforestation-un-bolsonaro-a9085021.html
• Statement by Inger Andersen on the ongoing fires in the Amazon rainforest, 23 August 2019: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/statement/statement-inger-andersen-ongoing-fires-amazon-rainforest

May 2026
not an official document – for information only
https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-forests/