International Day of Forests

Mana suspension bridge leading to Korup National Park. Southwest Region, Cameroon

Mana suspension bridge leading to Korup National Park. Southwest Region, Cameroon

 
 

Mark your calendars. March 21st has been declared to be the International Day of Forests by the United Nations General Assembly.

Here’s the announcement from the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF):

The new global celebration of forests builds on the successes of the International Year of Forests in 2011, and provides a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.

Activities expected to take place on the International Day include tree-planting and other community-level events, and national celebrations including art, photo and film as well as social media outreach.

The launch of the International Day will take place in many countries. Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General of DESA, along with Chinese government officials, will be launching the International Day of Forests in China at a ceremony in Beijing on 21 March.

DESA’s United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat was designated by the General Assembly to facilitate the implementation of the International Day, in collaboration with FAO, Governments, and other members of the Collaborative Partnerships on Forests and international, regional and subregional organizations as well as relevant stakeholders, including civil society.

The UNFF Secretariat is working with the UN Graphic Design Unit to develop a logo for the International Day, which will be launched in time for the first celebration of the Day this year on 21 March. In addition, a mobile App on Forest facts, as well as other social media products will be launched by the UNFF Secretariat on the International Day of Forests.

Forests are an integral part of our lives and our future. But unless we can see them as more than an environmental issue, their future may be in jeopardy. See the project at http://www.un.org/esa/forests/

 

How will you celebrate the International Day of Forests?

Governments, international, regional and sub-regional organizations, and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to share information on their planned activities for the International Day of Forests by contacting the UNFF Secretariat at forests@un.org.

International Day of Forests Draft Resolution

International Day of Forests: Draft resolution adopted by General Assembly resolution on 21 December 2012 [ Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish ]