UN Forum on Forests head: Turkish government sensitive on forests

Director General of the United Nations (UN) Forum on Forests, Jan Mc Alpine on Friday said that "the Turkish government handles different issues and understands rural and urban problems".     Speaking at a press conference at the end of the UN Forum on Forests 10th Session in Istanbul, Alpine underlined that "the Turkish government knew forests could not exist on their own". We have taken crucial decisions during the forum, Alpine stressed. We discussed the sustainability of management of forests, Alpine noted. We had a chance to discuss social and environmental issues in addition to sustainable forest management, Alpine said. "Turkey hosted a very important meeting. We handled different topics and debated on issues such as the development of countries and making the best use of forests," Alpine said. "One third of the world is made up of forests. 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their well being," Alpine underlined. "Forests make contributions worth 500 billion USD to world economy every year," Alpine noted. "Turkish government understands this issue better than other countries. The ties between forests and water sources are very sensitive issues in Turkey. The source of medicines are in forests and natural disasters at times affect Turkey. This is not just an issue of interest to Turkey but the whole world. I can state with pleasure that two prime ministers, one vice-president, and more than 50 ministers attended our meeting in Istanbul. We held highly important sessions. Istanbul truly lies in the heart of a global agreement. We all need forests," Alpine also said. -United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)- In October 2000, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), in its Resolution 2000/35 established the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), a subsidiary body with the main objective to promote “… the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end…” based on the Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 and the outcome of the IPF/IFF Processes and other key milestones of international forest policy. The Forum has universal membership, and is composed of all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies. -Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests (NLBI)- Following intense negotiations, the Seventh Session of the Forum adopted the landmark Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests on 28 April 2007. The instrument is considered a milestone, as 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 forest-dependent peoples. The NLBI was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 17 December 2007. -UNFF Principal Functions- In order to achieve its main objective, the following principal functions have been identified for the UNFF: 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.