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Policy Dialogue and Advice

Introduction

This work area involves the organization of regional and national policy dialogues and specific studies on request from member States and organizations. The subjects address issues mentioned in the scope of the Integrated Programme of Work. This work contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and forest related SDGs, the UN strategic plan for forests 2017-2030 and the UNFF Quadrennial Programme of Work 2017-2020, and to the relevant global (mainly the UNFF and the FAO Committee on Forestry), regional and national forest dialogues. Activities in this work area also contribute to efforts to promote cross-sectoral cooperation.

Key areas of work

Circularity

Boreal Forests

Forest Sector Outlook

Policy Dialogue

Green Jobs

In focus

The boreal biome that circles the globe is crucial for global climate regulation: it contains a third of all the trees on earth and in combination with its soil forms the largest storage of CO2, while refreshing the entire planet’s atmosphere with the oxygen it produces. Yet, in recent years boreal forests have been dramatically affected by anthropogenic climate change. Rising temperatures warm up the boreal forests’ permafrost soil, thus threatening to release the CO2 it had previously stored. Moreover, warmer temperatures can enable insects to thrive, leading to beetle infestations.
In light of the challenges linked to boreal forests, a Team of Specialists dedicated specifically to boreal forests was established in 2019 with the following objectives: 1) contribute to and streamline science and policy cooperation on boreal forests, 2) increase collaboration with the International Boreal Forest Research Association and other boreal-related research organizations, 3) improve awareness of the boreal forests’ global role in issues such as climate change and the bioeconomy, 4) advise the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section on boreal forest matters.

Visit the ToS website for more information.