During the two week-long third session on the United Nations Forum on Forests, delegates assembled to discuss the progress of the execution of the proposals made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests/Intergovernmental Forum on Forests. They focused mainly on three substantive areas: economic aspects of forests, forest health and productivity, and maintaining forest cover to meet present and future needs. Other issues relating to sustainable forest management were also discussed by the representatives, ranging from country experiences to technical and financial aspects. A multi-stakeholder dialogue was held on May 27, in which delegates heard presentations on the substantive areas from representatives of the UNFF’s seven of the nine Major Groups – one of which was the indigenous group. Afterwards, delegates addressed a series of questions proposed by the Major Groups on: major group involvement in the elaboration of national forest programs and the work of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests member organizations; sustainable livelihoods, positive examples of cross-sectoral policy development, land tenure, non-timber values, and capacity building. Case studies relating to the three substantive areas were also presented.
