Outcome of the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests

E/RES/2026/16View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Economic and Social Council, under agenda item 19k United Nations Forum on Forests, published in 2026.

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Forest Management International Cooperation Sustainable Development Sustainable Forestry

What’s in this document?

29 operative paragraphs

Country-led initiatives

Welcomes country-led initiatives, and country- and organization-led initiatives, organized by Morocco, Türkiye and Austria since the twentieth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, and in line with the relevant Forum guidelines, and encourages the organization of such initiatives with broad participation of Forum members during the intersessional period, bearing in mind the need to allocate sufficient time for consideration of the outcome of such initiative(s) during the Forum session and the secretariat’s capacity for supporting those initiatives;

Encourages Forum members and member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to promote technical and technological collaboration, including technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, the use of innovative technologies for sustainable forest management, exchange of best practices, knowledge and expertise, as well as capacity-building activities, and to promote the engagement of all relevant stakeholders in sustainable forest management activities to advance the achievement of the Global Forest Goals;

Invites Forum members and member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to support the existing initiatives, in particular the Global Fire Management Hub, aimed at addressing the increasing threats of wildfires, and stresses the importance of enhancing regional and international cooperation on integrated fire management, effective wildfire risk reduction, including prevention, preparedness, response, post-disaster restoration, and recovery, to ensure sustainable forest management, while taking into account national circumstances, capacity and existing national fire prevention and response systems;

Takes note of the outcome of the global summit on advancing sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches, including the Vienna Call for Action,² and invites Forum members, member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, regional and subregional organizations and processes, major groups, research and academic institutions and other relevant stakeholders to consider the implementation of the Vienna Call for Action, with a view to advancing sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches, in line with sustainable forest management;

²See E/2026/11, annex.

Enhanced cooperation with partners

Welcomes the progress made by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its member organizations in implementing the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 and the relevant provisions of Council resolution 2024/15, takes note of the Partnership workplan for 2025–2028 and its joint initiatives, and invites the Partnership and its member organizations, in close collaboration with the Forum secretariat, to continue implementing the provisions of the resolution and take concrete steps to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Global Forest Goals by 2030 and to report on its progress to the Forum at its twenty-second session;

Invites regional and subregional forest-related partners to consider integrating the Strategic Plan and incorporating the Global Forest Goals into their workplans, welcomes the progress made by major groups and other relevant stakeholders in implementing the relevant provisions of Council resolution 2024/15, invites major groups and other stakeholders to provide a progress report on their activities to the Forum at its twenty-second session, and encourages Forum members to support enhancing the capacity of major groups and other relevant stakeholders so that they can actively engage in the work of the Forum and participate in knowledge-sharing and advocacy, dissemination of information on the Strategic Plan and its Global Forest Goals, and their implementation;

Communication and outreach

Welcomes the communication and outreach activities carried out by Forum members, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and its member organizations, major groups and other relevant stakeholders, as well as the Forum secretariat, including its monthly newsletter and the new Forum website, to raise awareness of the significance of forests, the Global Forest Goals and sustainable forest management, and encourages effective engagement in celebrating the International Day of Forests;

Monitoring, assessment and reporting

Welcomes the submission of voluntary national reports by Forum members³ and the launch of The Global Forest Goals Report 2026, invites Forum members to consider promoting and disseminating the key findings of the Report, and also invites all members to submit their voluntary national reports during the next and final cycle of reporting to the Forum to contribute to the final assessment in 2030 of implementation of the Strategic Plan and the achievement of the Global Forest Goals;

³The list of countries that submitted voluntary national reports is available at https://forests.desa.un.org/our-work/monitoring-assessment-and-reporting/2024-2026.

Takes note of the use by the Forum secretariat of forest data and information from the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the Global Forest Goals Report 2026, and encourages the Forum secretariat to continue to use data from the Forest Resources Assessment and explore options for making use of other relevant, as well as nationally validated sources of forest data and information in future progress reports on the Global Forest Goals and the Strategic Plan, as appropriate;

Requests the Forum secretariat:

Taking into account the experience gained and lessons learned from the most recent reporting cycle, the views of the advisory group on reporting to the Forum and the discussions during the twenty-first session of the Forum, to make proposals for improving the quantity and quality of the voluntary national reports for the next cycle, for discussion at the twenty-second session of the Forum;

In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other relevant members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, to continue enhancing the reporting capacity of Forum members, including through the organization of workshops and other capacity-building activities, and further streamline forest-related reporting to relevant intergovernmental organizations and processes to maximize efficiency and reduce the reporting burden on countries;

Interlinkages of the Global Forest Goals and major global forest-related developments

Welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the outcome of the midterm review of the International Arrangement on Forests contained in Council resolution 2024/15, and invites members of the Forum to accelerate implementing the Strategic Plan and achieving its Global Forest Goals, including through the announcement of voluntary national contributions and the integration of the Plan and its Goals in their national forest-related policies, taking into account national priorities, circumstances and capabilities;

Takes note with appreciation of global initiatives in the context of multilateral environmental agreements to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, and in this regard invites Forum members, taking into account their national circumstances, priorities, policies and capabilities, and in support of the Global Forest Goals, to contribute to those initiatives, including the initiative of the presidency of the thirtieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to advance the road map on halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030;

Notes the important role that productive forests, agroforestry systems, family farming and community-based forest management can play in supporting sustainable livelihoods, poverty eradication, food security and the conservation and sustainable use of standing forests, as appropriate, and encourages continued dialogue and exchange of experiences on these approaches;

Welcomes the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 79/283 of 16 April 2025 on the United Nations Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in line with Sustainable Forest Management (2027–2036), takes note with appreciation of the initiative of the Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan, as well as other sponsoring countries, invites interested Forum members to consider taking concrete steps, as appropriate, to actively support the implementation of the Decade, and requests the Forum secretariat, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and other relevant member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, to facilitate the observance of the Decade;

Encourages interested Forum members, member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, including the Forum secretariat, as well as major groups and other relevant stakeholders, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources and in consultation with members of the Forum, the presidencies of the Conferences of the Parties and relevant partners, to consider the organization of a Forest Pavilion at the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as forest-related events during the sessions of the Conferences of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, to raise awareness of the role and significance of forests and sustainable forest management in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation;

Means of implementation

Recognizes the urgent need to advance means of implementation, including new and additional financing from all sources for reversing the loss of forest cover, protecting and conserving forests, halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation, restoring degraded forests, enhancing capacity-building and technological collaboration, sharing best practices, and scientific exchange at all levels;

Takes note with appreciation of the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility as an innovative global forest financing initiative, encourages countries in a position to do so to consider investing in it, and invites all Forum members, in particular developing tropical forest countries, to engage with it, as appropriate and in accordance with their national circumstances, as a collective platform to mobilize long-term, predictable and accessible finance for the achievement of the Strategic Plan;

Invites the Forum to strengthen collaboration across sectors and facilitate partnerships to promote sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches and restoration of forest ecosystems, contributing to improved livelihoods, including through building capacities of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and people of African descent, where applicable, underlining the need to ensure sustainable patterns of consumption and production;

Welcomes the support provided by the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network in strengthening the capacity of countries, in particular developing countries, to mobilize resources from all sources for sustainable forest management, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining the ability of the Network to continue supporting members in an effective and timely manner, including through assisting in the development of their national forest financing strategies;

Emphasizes the importance of the work of the Forum Clearing House on Forest Financing in providing access to data, knowledge and information on forest financing, and requests that, in the context of the preparations for the final review of the International Arrangement on Forests in 2030, the Forum secretariat, in collaboration with the member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, propose possible options for enhancing access to data and information, and possible modalities for an enhanced information-sharing platform for the consideration of the Forum;

Initial discussion on the final review of the International Arrangement on Forests

Reaffirms that the final review in 2030 of the effectiveness of the International Arrangement on Forests and the related preparatory process should be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Council resolutions, including resolutions 2000/35, 2015/33 and 2024/15, and paragraphs 66 to 70 of the Strategic Plan;

Invites the Bureau of the Forum, with the support of the Forum secretariat, to hold regular virtual informal consultation and brainstorming with Forum members, member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, regional and subregional Forum partners and major groups and other stakeholders during the period between the twenty-first and twenty-third sessions of the Forum to explore, inter alia, the type of activities, events, thematic priorities, cooperation modalities and background documents required for the final review of the International Arrangement on Forests, and in this respect requests the Forum secretariat:

Considering the views expressed during the informal consultation, to propose a plan for transparent, timely, inclusive and evidence-based activities for the final review of the International Arrangement on Forests for consideration and decision by the Forum at its twenty-third session;

To provide an update on the progress in the above-mentioned intersessional informal consultation for discussion at the twenty-second session of the Forum;

Resourcing of the United Nations Forum on Forests and its secretariat

Reaffirms the Forum as the only universal intergovernmental body within the United Nations system solely dedicated to forests, and in this regard recommends that the General Assembly ensure the provision of adequate, stable and predictable resources, commensurate with the mandate and workload of the Forum, for the Forum secretariat to continue to support the Forum to fulfil its mandates and to conduct the final review in 2030 of the effectiveness of the International Arrangement on Forests in an efficient, sustainable and timely manner;

Invites the Forum to consider the information paper on the workload, needs and gaps of the Forum secretariat submitted to the Forum at its twentieth and twenty-first sessions, and other relevant information, within the context of the preparatory process of the final review of the International Arrangement on Forests in 2030;

Invites Forum members and others in a position to do so to consider contributing to the trust fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests to enable the Forum secretariat to implement the mandates and tasks entrusted to it under the present resolution, including supporting the travel of eligible Forum members and partners to participate in the Forum sessions and related intersessional activities.