Delegate list


Mr Trevor Abrahams
Secretary General, XIV World Forestry Congress 2015


Ms Tiina Vahanen
Associate Secretary-General, XIV World Forestry Congress 2015

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Joint Message from the Secretariat

 

Mr Trevor Abrahams
Secretary General,
XIV World Forestry Congress
2015

Ms Tiina Vahanen
Associate Secretary-General,
XIV World Forestry Congress
2015

Forests and trees play vital roles in human well-being and national economies and in the provision of essential environmental services such as clean air and fresh water. But policymakers, the wider community and even foresters have not always fully acknowledged these roles.


Today, the forestry profession must embrace the full range of forest products and environmental services and the rights and views of all forest stakeholders. It must also keep society informed of the roles of forests in the well-being of people and the environment.
Forestry, therefore, can no longer operate in isolation. It is an integral part of communities and landscapes and a vital component of sustainable development at all levels.   It is also a key contributor to job creation and food security programmes.


The XIV World Forestry Congress 2015 will provide a unique platform for bringing forestry into the mainstream. It will emphasize people-centred forestry, socio economic issues, and the role of forests, trees and forestry in national economic development. It will address key environmental issues such as climate change, water and sustainable woodfuel supply – the latter being particularly crucial in Africa. And it will explore new governance structures that promote sustainable forest management.


The theme of the XIV World Forestry Congress is Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future. The Congress will show that investment in forestry is an investment in people and, in turn, an investment in national economies and sustainable development.
The Congress is particularly timely for the UN post-2015 agenda and the sustainable development goals. It is clear that people must be at the centre of sustainable development, and that poverty eradication and sustainable management are essential requirements. Forestry has immense potential in all these areas – in empowering people, in helping eradicate poverty, and in sustainably managing resources.


The XIV World Forestry Congress will enable the world’s foresters and forest supporters (beyond the forest sector) to project a new vision for the future of forests and forestry by sharing their expertise and experiences and building partnerships for the future.
We expect the Congress to provide lasting benefits for institutions, communities, businesses and all those with an interest in the forest sector and related activities worldwide.


To make it happen, we want experts, practitioners and other stakeholders from a wide range of sectors to participate and engage. We are setting the stage for a participatory Congress in which all stakeholders are free to share their ideas, practices, technologies and experiences. We will use innovative approaches to engage diverse participants in dynamic, stimulating and wide-ranging dialogues.


We cordially invite you to meet us in Durban, South Africa, in September 2015 for this exciting event.