6 April 2015: In preparation for the eleventh session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF11), 18 countries and the European Union submitted voluntary inputs to the draft ministerial declaration. The submissions are intended to form the building blocks of the outcome of the UNFF11 high-level segment, which will convene from 13-14 May 2015.

Elements in the submission include: recognition of the value of the UNFF and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF); calls for increased support for the UNFF Secretariat; increased focus on the achievement of the Global Objectives on Forests; and mobilization of financial resources for sustainable forest management (SFM), including a suggestion for a Global Forest Fund or a Strategic Trust Fund. Another common theme among submissions was the need to better recognize the value of forests, including their social and economic values.

In addition to general elements, some submissions call for specific commitments, such as the adoption of a prioritized and time-bound programme of work, the engagement of the private sector in financing for SFM, the establishment of an inter-sessional working group on the updated forest instrument, and the development of national level coordination bodies to manage forests across sectors.

A number of submissions also recognize the importance of linking the Global Objectives on Forests to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 process. Furthermore, some submissions call for stronger links with other international conventions addressing SFM as well as better coordination among stakeholders and the Major Groups. [International Arrangement on Forests – Building blocks of the UNFF11 Ministerial Declaration]