March 2013: The Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Luc Gnacadja, delivered the keynote statement at the World Forests Summit on the topic, “Land and Forests should Ride a Tandem.”

The statement links sustainable forest management (SFM) and sustainable land management (SLM), suggesting that deforestation and forest degradation can only be achieved if land degradation is also addressed.

Also noted in the statement is the importance of dry forests, which make up 42 per cent of the world’s tropical and sub-tropical forests and are key to ensuring food security and improving livelihoods. However, the statement also notes that dry forests are marginalized in REDD+ programmes and other forest investments.

In order to address the lack of consideration of dry forests, the statement calls for a revision of business models to promote increased investment. The address also highlights the importance of innovation to develop a policy framework for REDD+ in dry forests. As good practice examples, the statement cites the Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative.

The World Forests Summit was convened by The Economist, from 5-6 March, 2013 in Stockholm Sweden. The objective of the Summit was to provide a platform for leading experts to discuss commonalities between forest stakeholders, as well as mechanisms to bring such stakeholders together. The Summit discussed: the outlook for forests to 2030; the valuation of forests in decision-making; steps taken by forest product industries to adapt their business model in support of the green economy; and the role of forests in climate change. [UNCCD Statement: Land and Forests should Ride a Tandem] [World Forests Summit website]