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The following are the principal functions in order to achieve its objective
♤ To facilitate implementation of forest-related agreements and foster a common understanding on sustainable forest management;
♤ To provide for continued policy development and dialogue among Governments, international organizations, including major groups, as identified in Agenda 21 as well as to address forest issues and emerging areas of concern in a holistic, comprehensive and integrated manner,
♤ To enhance cooperation as well as policy and programme coordination on forest-related issues
♤ To foster international cooperation and
♤ To monitor, assess and report on progress of the above functions and objectives
♤ To strengthen political commitment to the management , conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
♤ Enhance the contribution of forests to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and to the implementation of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, bearing in mind the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development;
♤ Encourage and assist countries, including those with low forest cover, to develop and implement forest conservation and rehabilitation strategies, increase the area of forests under sustainable management and reduce forest degradation and the loss of forest cover in order to maintain and improve their forest resources with a view to enhancing the benefits of forests to meet present and future needs, in particular the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities whose livelihoods depend on forests;
♤ Strengthen interaction between the United Nations Forum on Forests and relevant regional and subregional forest-related mechanisms, institutions and instruments, organizations and processes, with participation of major groups, as identified in Agenda 21 and relevant stakeholders to facilitate enhanced cooperation and effective implementation of sustainable forest management, as well as to contribute to the work of the Forum
IPF/IFF Process (1995-2000)
♤ The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) represent five years of international forest policy dialogue.
♤ The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), established by the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) for two years (1995-97) to provide a forum for forest policy deliberations.
♤ Subsequently, in 1997, ECOSOC established the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), for three years (1997-2000).
Global Objectives on Forests
Member States reaffirm the following shared global objectives on forests and their commitment to work globally, regionally and nationally to achieve progress towards their achievement by 2015
The four Global Objectives seek to:
Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management (SFM), including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation;
Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent people;
Increase significantly the area of sustainably managed forests, including protected forests, and increase the proportion of forest products derived from sustainably managed forests; and
Reverse the decline in official development assistance for sustainable forest management and mobilize significantly-increased new and additional financial resources from all sources for the implementation of SFM.
Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests (NLBI)
♤ The Seventh Session of the UNFF adopted the Non-Le-gally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests on April 2007.
♤ It is the first time Member States have agreed to an international instrument for sustainable forest management.
♤ The instrument is expected to have a major impact on international cooperation and national action to reduce deforestation, prevent forest degradation, promote sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty for all forestdependent peoples.
♤ The instrument is voluntary and non-legally binding