China's seminar helps build UN exchange platform for global forest governance

Editor's Note: From Aug 26 to Sept 8, the Seminar on the Implementation of the United Nations Forest Instrument (UNFI) and Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) was successfully held in Beijing.

The seminar was initiated by the China International Development Cooperation Agency and organized by China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) through its National Academy of Forestry and Grassland Administration. It brought together 38 forestry officials, experts, and scholars from Chile, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nepal and Thailand.

The United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS) delivered a one-day training session on forest policy and financing as part of the seminar. Experts from domestic professional authorities and institutions, including the NFGA, delivered lectures for participants.

China organizes this seminar annually as part of its efforts to support the implementation of the UNFI and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 (UNSPF 2017-2030). The seminar serves not only as a concrete action to implement the above documents through foreign-aided training, but also as a vivid practice supporting multilateral cooperation.

The UNFFS session outlined the evolution of international forest policy within the broader global sustainable development agenda. It presented the UNFI and UNSPF as global frameworks and demonstrated how they can inform the development of national forest strategies and action plans.

The broader seminar focused on China's experience in implementing the UNFI, advancing SFM, monitoring forest resources and promoting ecological restoration.

The session also introduced the forest financing landscape, covering public, private, domestic and international sources of finance for forests. Participants explored a range of financing instruments and approaches, strengthening their understanding of how different sources can be mobilized to support national forest priorities.

The program included a field visit to Qingyuan county in Liaoning province, one of China's pilot sites for UNFI implementation. This gave participants an opportunity to observe how forest policies, governance arrangements and SFM practices are put into action at the local level.

Combining multilateral agency participation, classroom lectures and field visits, the seminar promoted the frameworks and concepts of global forest governance and shared China's forestry development practices. It helped partner countries strengthen their forest governance capabilities, jointly contributing wisdom and strength to sustainable global forestry development.