On 16 June 2014, the Joint ECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section organized the Second Workshop on forests and Sustainable Development Goals. This Workshop was the continuation of the First Workshop on that topic which took place in Geneva on 22-23 January 2014.
Based on the latest progress in the OWG process on the day of the workshop and results of the workshop in January, participants reviewed the proposed OWG goals and targets, identified those relevant to the forest sector and suggested some forest relevant indicators, taking into account existing forest related indicators and variables applicable to sustainable development goals.
As the outcome participants presented the following recommendations:
1. It is essential that at least one target under the relevant sustainable development goal(s) focuses on Sustainable Forest Management, in order to reflect the fundamental role that it plays in sustainable development;
2. Forest-related indicators should be developed for all targets with a forest component. These include targets related to: biodiversity, ecosystem management, production and consumption patterns, energy, food security, water and sanitation, climate, poverty eradication, gender, health, and urban development;
3. Over the years the forest sector has produced detailed datasets and indicators on forests and sustainable forest management and this information should be properly utilized when developing target-specific forest related indicators.The results of the Workshop were forwarded to the 36th session of the UNECE-FAO Working Party on Forests Statistics, Economics and Management, which took place in Geneva from 17-18 June 2014.
The Working Party acknowledged the important role played by UNECE/FAO in collecting datasets, reporting on indicators and in contributing to the global discussion on the development of forest related targets and indicators for SDGs.
The Working Party also agreed to forward the recommendations as well as the report from the First and Second ECE-FAO Workshops on Forests and SDGs to the next meeting of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO), Rome, 23-27 June 2014, for its consideration.
For more information please contact Alicja Kacprzak.
Putting the "Sustainable" in Sustainable Development Goals
Tania Paratian Senghore, WWF International
Forests in Sustainable Development Goals - a Regional View
Paola Deda, Chief, Forestry and Timber Section
Forests Related Indicators and Variables for Sustainable Development Goals
Roman Michalak, Forestry and Timber Section
Workshop: Forests and SDGs: a Regional View - Part II
Workshop Detailed Agenda
Forests in SDGs - Second ECE/FAO Workshop on Forests in SDGs: a Regional View
Forests in SDGs - a View from Europe
Forests in SDGs - a Regional View - Part II
Forest Related indicators and Variables Relevant to SDGs
Introduction and Proposed Goals and Targets on Sustainable Development for the Post2015 Development Agenda
Proposed Priority Targets Under Goal 15