5. Forests

Abstract

The year 2016 witnessed major developments in connection with forestry issues. The AHEG was established by the UN Economic and Social Council pursuant to paragraph 48 of Resolution 2015/33. It was decided then to establish an open-ended, intergovernmental, ad hoc expert group to conduct two meetings in 2016 to develop proposals on issues mentioned under paragraph 44 of said resolution. The mandate includes: (1) the replacement of the reference to the Millennium Development Goals in paragraph 1(b) of the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests with an appropriate reference to the Sustainable Development Goals and targets and (2) the strategic plan for the period 2017–30 and the quadrennial program of work for the period 2017–20, consistent with section XI of the resolution. The first meeting of the expert group was held in New York on 25–7 April. Gholamhossein Dehghani (Iran) and Hans Hoogeveen (Netherlands) were elected as co-chairs. The meeting was attended by 101 government-designated experts from fifty-six countries, twenty-five experts designated by member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, other international and regional organizations, regional processes and major groups, and independent experts. The expert group adopted its agenda and program of work. It was noted that there would be no negotiated outcome and that the co-chairs would prepare a summary of the discussions. In fulfilling its mandate, it would take into consideration the views of, and proposals submitted by, member states and relevant stakeholders and the relevant provisions of the third International Conference on Financing for Development, the United Nations (UN) summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, and the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP-21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).