The XII World Forestry Congress (WFC) took place from 21-28 September 2003 in Quebec City, Canada.

The general theme of the Congress was “Forests, Source of Life.” More than 4,000 participants from over 140 countries attended the Congress, representing the scientific community, governments, international organizations, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. A variety of sessions and fora convened during the eight-day Congress. During the Plenary Sessions, speakers shared their perspectives on challenges for the years to come, laying the groundwork for XII WFC deliberations. Thirty-eight Theme Sessions convened to address aspects of the following areas: Forests for People; Forests for the Planet; and Forests and People in Harmony. In the Ecoregional Sessions, participants engaged in roundtable discussions organized according to the five broad ecological regions of the Earth. In the Special Sessions, the conclusions of side events were presented, including the Youth Forum and the Indigenous Peoples’ Forest Forum. In the Open Fora, participants engaged in discussions on emerging issues. In the final General Session, participants adopted a Statement that reflects their collective vision of “Forests, Source of Life.” For Sustainable Developments’ full coverage of this meeting in English, French and Spanish, visit: http://enb.iisd.org/linkages/sd/wfc12/