Fostering Sustainable Forest Management, Including Afforestation and Reforestation, in Degraded Lands, Including Drylands, as an Effective Solution to Environmental Challenges

A/RES/78/320View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 18Sustainable development, published in 2023.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

2 entities

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 topics

Afforestation Forest Conservation Forest Management Reforestation Sustainable Forestry

What does this mandate say?

13 operative paragraphs

Emphasizes that sustainable forest management, including afforestation and reforestation through tree planting, seeding and regeneration in degraded lands, including drylands, can have economic, social and environmental benefits inter alia by increasing biodiversity, providing habitat for diverse plant and animal species, protecting against natural hazards and disasters, contributing substantially to climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as well as providing opportunities for agroforestry and ecotourism;

Also emphasizes the need to ensure that afforestation and reforestation activities are carried out in line with sustainable forest management and that they do not lead to the degradation of non-forested natural ecosystems;

Strives to strengthen the provision and mobilization of and access to new and additional resources from all sources, given the importance of predictability for the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of forests, in particular developing countries, including through innovative mechanisms, as well as strives to promote investment, innovative financing mechanisms, and scientific, technological and capacity-building support for efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and to leave no one behind, including through results-based payments, positive incentives for the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of forests, and alternative policy approaches, and make this support accessible and attractive to stakeholders involved in sustainable forest management and use, including forest owners, smallholders, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth;

Invites Member States to implement, participate in and support, as appropriate, sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation projects and initiatives incorporating tree planting, seeding or regeneration in degraded lands, including drylands, as appropriate, taking into account their national circumstances, policies, priorities, capacities, levels of development and forest conditions;

Emphasizes the importance of strengthening international cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, as well as public-private partnerships and cross-sectoral cooperation at all levels, to promote sustainable forest management;

Reaffirms the contribution of nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based approaches and other sustainable management and conservation approaches, in line with United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/5 of 2 March 2022, for combating desertification, reversing land degradation and halting and reversing biodiversity loss;

Emphasizes the role of forests and trees outside forests in mitigating the effects of air, water and soil pollution, as well as their role as natural barriers against wind, sand and dust storms, preventing soil erosion and further desertification;

Recognizes the value of afforestation and reforestation, including tree planting, seeding and regeneration programmes, through careful planning and consideration of the local environment and ecosystem, using non-invasive, drought-resistant and productive plant species, adapted to the local climate, soil conditions and environmental conditions in the respective areas;

Also recognizes the significant contributions of forests and trees outside forests in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, in particular in relation to poverty eradication and food security;

Notes the importance of appropriate species selection and ensuring long-term maintenance, care and monitoring of trees planted, seeded or regenerated in degraded lands, including drylands, through the development of sustainable and effective maintenance strategies;

Recognizes the need to work collaboratively to protect, conserve, sustainably manage and restore forests and forest ecosystems in line with the global forest goals and all relevant multilateral agreements and related processes, including through meaningful engagement with and supporting the contributions of partners and stakeholders, including forest owners, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, local authorities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, women, children, youth, and scientific, academic and philanthropic organizations at all levels;

Emphasizes the importance of education and awareness-raising programmes to inform the public on the benefits of sustainable forest management, including forest protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation;

Encourages relevant United Nations entities, within their respective mandates, to integrate sustainable forest management, including afforestation and reforestation, into their programmes and reporting, as appropriate, when providing support to countries affected by desertification and land degradation, to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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