Biotech Updates

UN Launches Year-Long Celebration of Vital Role of World's Forests

February 4, 2011

The United Nations launched the International Year of Forests in a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York in February 2. The theme for the year-long celebration is "Forests for People"  which aims to raise awareness on the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests.

"By declaring 2011 as the International Year of Forests, the United Nations General Assembly has created an important platform to educate the global community about the great value of forests – and the extreme social, economic and environmental costs of losing them," noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The launch ceremony is a part of the high-level segment of the UN Forum on Forests. General Assembly President Joseph Deiss said that having the International Year of Forests immediately after last year's International Year of Biodiversity is very meaningful. This is because a new strategic plan has been adopted last year that include forests as one of the targets in minimizing the rate of loss in natural habitats by 2020. Strategies will also be undertaken to sustainably manage forests to ensure biodiversity conservation.

See the original news release at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37447&Cr=forest&Cr1.