Latest news with #UNFF
Malay Mail
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Malaysia calls for UN forest forum to become binding convention boosting global conservation commitment
PUTRAJAYA, May 12 — Malaysia has proposed that the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) be strengthened into a formal convention to enhance national commitments towards the sustainable management, conservation, and development of forest resources. The proposal was presented during the 20th session of the UNFF (UNFF20), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States, from May 5 to 9. The Malaysian delegation was led by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo A/L Kim. In a statement, NRES said Malaysia called for the transformation of the UNFF from a voluntary and non-legally binding instrument into a more formal, convention-based framework. 'This would strengthen the commitment of countries in the sustainable management, conservation, and development of forest resources,' the statement read. During the session, Malaysia also shared its views and input in line with NRES aspirations, particularly its efforts to maintain forest cover, which currently stands at 54.31 per cent of the country's total land area. Malaysia also emphasised the importance of implementing land-use policies such as the National Forestry Policy (DPM) and the National Policy on Biological Diversity (DKBK) 2022–2030. The country further highlighted the need to support the forestry sector through technology transfer, capacity building, and financial assistance for developing nations. In addition, Malaysia highlighted the crucial role of forests in addressing climate change and conserving biodiversity, including their function as carbon sinks — an important element in achieving the national target of net zero emissions by 2050. This is in line with Malaysia's commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). 'These efforts contribute directly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land),' the statement said. The UNFF serves as a platform for policy development, especially in implementing sustainable forest management (SFM), and facilitates continuous dialogue among governments, international organisations, and other forestry stakeholders. Over 300 delegates from 70 countries, including Malaysia, attended the meeting. — Bernama
The Star
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Malaysia proposes formal convention to strengthen UN Forum on Forests
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has proposed that the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) be strengthened into a formal convention to enhance national commitments towards the sustainable management, conservation and development of forest resources. The proposal was presented during the 20th session of the UNFF (UNFF20) at UN Headquarters in New York last week. The Malaysian delegation was led by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo a/l Kim. In a statement, the ministry said Malaysia called for the transformation of the UNFF from a voluntary and non-legally binding instrument into a more formal, convention-based framework. "This would strengthen the commitment of countries in the sustainable management, conservation, and development of forest resources,' the statement read. During the session from May 5 to 9, Malaysia also shared its views and input in line with the ministry's aspirations, particularly its efforts to maintain forest cover, which currently stands at 54.31% of the country's total land area. Malaysia also emphasised the importance of implementing land-use policies such as the National Forestry Policy and the National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022-2030. The Malaysian delegation also highlighted the need to support the forestry sector through technology transfer, capacity building, and financial assistance for developing nations. In addition, it highlighted the crucial role of forests in addressing climate change and conserving biodiversity, including their function as carbon sinks – an important element in achieving the national target of net zero emissions by 2050. This is in line with Malaysia's commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. "These efforts contribute directly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land),' the statement read. The UNFF serves as a platform for policy development, especially in implementing sustainable forest management, and facilitates continuous dialogue among governments, international organisations, and other forestry stakeholders. Over 300 delegates from 70 countries, including Malaysia, attended the meeting. – Bernama
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
India's green cover grew to 25.17% of geographical area: Report
India has reported that its forest and tree cover now encompasses 25.17% of its geographical area at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), while highlighting several national conservation initiatives, the environment ministry said on Friday. The statistic, part of the latest State of Forest report, was presented at the UNFF being held at the UN Headquarters in New York from May 5 to 9, where India detailed a 'consistent increase' in forest and tree cover resulting from key programmes. These initiatives include 'restoration of land under the Aravalli Green Wall, a 7.86% increase in mangrove cover over the past decade, afforestation of over 1.55 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission, and plantation of 1.4 billion seedlings under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother) campaign,' the ministry statement noted. India also participated in a high-level panel on 'Valuing Forest Ecosystems in National Policy and Strategy,' sharing findings from pilot studies conducted in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and tiger reserves across the country. These studies quantified ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water provisioning, and biodiversity conservation, using frameworks including the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). While acknowledging challenges in valuing non-market services, India emphasised the need to integrate ecosystem valuation into national planning processes to ensure informed forest governance and long-term ecological sustainability. According to the India State of Forest Report 2023 released by the Union Environment Ministry in December last year, the country's forest and tree cover spans 8,27,357 sq km. This includes 21.76% forest cover and 3.41% tree cover. The report shows an increase of 1,445 sq km in total green cover since 2021—an area comparable to Delhi. However, the release of the State of Forest report by the Forest Survey of India has been delayed by more than a year, despite being scheduled biennially. The previous report was published in 2021. HT reported on December 24 that despite headline growth in green cover, the ISFR 2023 highlights concerning trends, including the degradation of large forest tracts, increased plantations, and ambiguity regarding 'unclassed forests.' Experts warn these developments could seriously impact biodiversity, forest-dependent communities, and ecosystem services provided by old-growth forests. Regarding the latest figures, experts said that the methodology has several problems. 'The methodology has several concerns that are problematic. The assessment of forest cover is flawed considering that even plantations and orchards and trees such as Mango and Coconut are counted under forest and tree cover. Moreover, the report has highlighted loss of unclassed forests to the tune of 1488 sq Kms between ISFR 2021 and 2023; large scale loss of forests in high altitude areas and degradation of forests by 92,989 sq km as reported in the ISFR 2023 besides non-compliance of crucial Supreme Court directives. This points to a reduction and degradation of forest cover and not an increase. We need a scientific and factual interpretation of the latest state of forest report and not a feel-good conclusion,' said Prakriti Srivastava, retired IFS and former principal chief conservator of forests, Kerala. The report revealed that 40,709.28 sq km of forest area degraded between 2011 and 2021, transitioning from very dense and moderately dense to open forests. The UNFF, which has evolved over two decades into a central actor in global forest policy, spearheads consensus on forest-related issues by adopting frameworks such as the UN Forest Instrument, the Global Forest Goals, and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030. This Strategic Plan established six voluntary Global Forest Goals, including reversing deforestation, increasing forest area by 3% worldwide, and maintaining or enhancing the world's forest carbon stocks. The ongoing UNFF20 technical session focuses on three specific Global Forest Goals: reversing forest cover loss, increasing protected and sustainably managed forests, and promoting forest governance and legal frameworks.
