The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had announced the second European Forest Week which was held from 9-13 December 2013, in parallel to Metsä2013 – the joint session of the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission – in Rovaniemi, Finland.
The week was launched by a group of 15 partners and provided a unique communication and outreach opportunity to increase the visibility of the forest sector and of its contribution to a sustainable economy.
Interested stakeholders contributed to the second European Forest Week by holding side or parallel events during Metsä2013 in Rovaniemi, as well as by organizing national celebrations throughout Europe. The organizers encouraged wide participation and involvement of government officials from forest and non-forest sectors as well as representatives of international, regional and national organizations that deal with forest-related issues in Europe, including NGOs, the private sector, schools and academic institutions.
For more information about European Forest Week 2013, please contact [email protected]
Partners: Confederation of European Private Forest Owners (CEPF), Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), European Forest Institute (EFI), European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs (ENFE), European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), FOREST EUROPE, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Geneva Environment Network (GEN), International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA), International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Celebrations in Rovaniemi
In parallel to Metsä2013, more than 35 Side Events and Parallel Events were organized as part of the celebrations of the second European Forest Week.
These meetings allowed partners to benefit from exchanges with delegates presented in Rovaniemi and brought under the same ‘roof’ a wide range of stakeholders to discuss forest related matters.
To see and overview of the European Forest Week in Rovaniemi, including the list of side and parallel events, please click here. Should you have any questions contact the Secretariat at [email protected].
The celebrations in Rovaniemi were made possible thanks to the kind support of the Government of Finland. For more information please visit the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Celebrations throughout Europe
National stakeholders organized events throughout Europe to address forest issues of national relevance and linked them with the objectives of the week.
In-country activities included: celebrations of forests at the national and local levels; specific events by private or public organisations; competitions, exhibits, fairs, school activities; videos and publications.
An FAO web-based platform is dedicated to the national events. It allows event organizers to upload their events and share them widely. It also provides suggested messages and information resources for event organizers.
Communication Tools
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Press Corner
| Press Releases |
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| Forest organizations invite you to celebrate Europe's forests (25 February 2013) |  |
| UNECE, FAO and partners announce plans for European Forest Week 2013 (04 December 2012) |  |
Videos
The European Forest Week is being held in Rovaniemi, the Finnish town which hosts Santa's main post office and its first citizen, Santa Claus, who has accepted the role the European Forest Week ambassador. To see the videos, click below:
European Forest Week & Santa Claus
On the occasion of European Forest Week and Metsä2013, the joint session of the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and the FAO European Forestry Commission,a video was developed, which highlights the importance of sustainable forestry for the future of the UNECE region and greening the economy. To see the video, click below: