November 2014: The UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) is continuing preparations for its eleventh meeting (UNFF11) through meetings of the Bureau and a January 2015 second meeting of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Expert Group on the International Arrangement on Forests (AHEG2).

The UNFF11 Bureau meeting, held the 31 October 2014, agreed to the organization of work for UNFF11 and AHEG2, and nominated vice-chairs and the rapporteur for UNFF11. The Bureau also reminded members to submit their views on the international arrangement on forests (IAF) beyond 2015 and proposals for elements to be included in the UNFF11 Ministerial Declaration. Finally, the Bureau welcomed Manoel Sobral-Filho as the new Director of the UNFF Secretariat.

The AHEG2 meeting, set for 12-16 January 2015, will consider proposals on the IAF beyond 2015 based on submissions from UNFF members, the results of the independent evaluation, and ongoing discussions on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. The outcomes from the AHEG2 meeting will contribute to deliberations at UNFF11, which will be held 4-15 May 2015. [UNFF Minutes of the 5th Meeting of the Bureau of the Eleventh Session] [Provisional Organization of Work – Second meeting of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Expert Group on the International Arrangement on Forests (AHEG2)]