February 2015: In an interview for the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) newsletter, the Director of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat, Manoel Sobral Filho, describes his vision for forests and the post-2015 development agenda, highlighting the multiple values of forests, many of which remain unaccounted for in decision making.

In the interview, Sobral Filho stresses the importance of providing economic incentives for sustainable forest management (SFM) in order to combat deforestation including as a result of illegal logging. SFM, according to Sobral Filho, will benefit from the many processes ongoing in 2015 including negotiations on the future of the International Agreement on Forests and the UNFF, a new climate change agreement under the UNFCCC, and the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In Sobral Filho’s view, achieving success in terms of recognizing the value of forests and ensuring their sustainable management requires a renewed focus on action over dialogue, enhanced support for implementation at all levels, and the establishment or strengthening of clear and accessible finance mechanisms. [Publication: DESA News – Volume 19, No 02- February 2015]