United Nations Forum on Forests Adopts Draft Report, Concluding Its Week-Long Session, Approves Provisional Agenda for 2026
The United Nations Forum on Forests concluded its twentieth session today, setting up its twenty-first session to be held at UN Headquarters from 11 to 15 May 2026 as its Chair observed that those present functioned similarly to that critical global resource — independent units growing together in harmony.
The Forum held its twentieth session from 5 to 9 May in New York. Established in 2000 by the Economic and Social Council, the Forum has universal membership and is tasked with reviewing progress in the implementation of sustainable forest management. This session — a technical one — focused on Global Forest Goals 1 (reversing forest loss), 3 (protecting forests and using sustainable forest products) and 5 (promoting inclusive forest governance). (Coverage of the Forum’s opening session is available in Press Release ENV/DEV/2068.)
As its final meeting for 2025 opened, the Forum considered the Chair’s summary of this session’s work, which contains highlights of discussions held, proposals for transmissions to the Forum’s twenty-first session and input for the Economic and Social Council’s 2025 High-Level Political Forum.
A number of delegations took the floor to speak on this item, including the representative of the United States, who expressed disappointment with the timeline and details presented for a potential Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network in Beijing. She suggested that Forum members make a recommendation “about whether the office should proceed or not” at the Forum’s next session.
Several delegations also took the floor to either request that the Chair’s summary clarify their own interventions or indicate that they will submit further written comments thereon — including the representatives of Argentina, United Kingdom, Brazil, Liberia and Poland, who also spoke for the European Union.
The representative of Zimbabwe, speaking for the Southern African Development Community (SADC), also indicated that her delegation will provide additional submissions and joined others in welcoming the document at hand. For her part, the representative of New Zealand, also speaking for Australia and Canada, thanked those present for their grace during the current “stressful situation”.
Forum Approves Dates, Venue, Provisional Agenda for Twenty-First Session
Next, the Forum approved, without a vote, the dates and venue for its twenty-first session (document E/CN.18/2025/L.2) and the provisional agenda for the same (document E/CN.18/2025/L.1) — recommending both to the Economic and Social Council for adoption. Prior to the approval of the latter, New Zealand’s representative — noting that contributions by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests have been “incredibly valuable” — suggested that several hours be reserved for engagement with the Partnership during plenary meetings at the twenty-first session.
The Forum then took up the draft report for its twentieth session, introduced by Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur Maria Sokolenko (Russian Federation). She noted that the text will include sections on the session’s opening and duration; election of officers; agenda and organization of work; attendance; and documentation considered. The Forum then approved the draft report without a vote, entrusting Ms. Sokolenko with its completion with the support of the Forum’s secretariat.
Forests’ Environmental, Economic and Social Benefits Highlighted amid Turbulent Time for People and the Planet
Juliette Biao, Director of that Forum’s secretariat, then delivered closing remarks. “This session of the Forum was organized at a turbulent time for people and the planet,” she observed, pointing to numerous challenges affecting “both developed and developing countries across all regions”. Underlining forests’ “enormous environmental, economic and social benefits to all of us”, she urged strengthened efforts to achieve the Global Forest Goals by 2030. She also called for financial support so that the Forum’s secretariat can support the body ahead of its twenty-first session in 2026.
“Throughout this week, we worked together in a truly meaningful way,” said Ismail Belen (Türkiye), Chair of the Forum’s twentieth session. “Each of us spoke freely as independent countries like trees standing tall and free,” and “we moved forward together in harmony like a forest growing in unity”, he observed. Quoting “a great Turkish poet”, he said: “To live like a solitary tree in freedom, and like a forest in brotherhood — this is the unity we carry.” The Forum, he stressed, “belongs to all of us who believe in forests as a foundation for peace, life and hope”.
“May the spirit of the forest stay with all of us,” he proclaimed, declaring the Forum’s twentieth session concluded.
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* Owing to the liquidity crisis affecting the United Nations, the 4th through 9th Meetings were not covered.