Erstmals verfügen die Vereinten Nationen nun über eine gemeinsame Strategie für die Wälder der Erde. Die UN-Generalversammlung hat am 27. April 2017 den "Strategischen Plan der Vereinten Nationen für Wälder" angenommen. Dieser Plan für die nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung war bereits im Januar vom UN Forum on Forests beschlossen worden. Er legt den Grundstein dafür, die verschiedenen internationalen Aktivitäten für den Wald enger zu verknüpfen. 

Die Strategie verfolgt sechs übergeordnete Ziele, denen jeweils eine Reihe von Teilzielen zugeordnet ist:

• Global Forest Goal 1 - Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation and contribute to the global effort of addressing climate change.
• Global Forest Goal 2 - Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest dependent people.
• Global Forest Goal 3 - Increase significantly the area of protected forests worldwide and other areas of sustainably managed forests, as well as the proportion of forest products from sustainably managed forests.
• Global Forest Goal 4 - Mobilize significantly increased, new and additional financial resources from all sources for the implementation of sustainable forest management and strengthen scientific and technical cooperation and partnerships.
• Global Forest Goal 5 - Promote governance frameworks to implement sustainable forest management, including through the UN Forest Instrument, and enhance the contribution of forests to the 2030 Agenda.
• Global Forest Goal 6 - Enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies on forest-related issues at all levels, including within the UN System and across Collaborative Partnership on Forests member organizations, as well as across sectors and relevant stakeholders.

Mit knapp vier Milliarden Hektar bedecken die Wälder noch rund 30 Prozent der Erdoberfläche. Die UN schätzt die Zahl der Menschen, die für ihren Lebensunterhalt direkt auf die Waldökosysteme angewiesen sind, auf 1,6 Milliarden Menschen.

Link zum strategischen Plan: www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/UNSPF_AdvUnedited.pdf