New york: The United Nations Forum on Forests opened at UN headquarters in New York to discuss ways to accelerate the implementation of agreed forest-related commitments. Bj¶rg Sandkj¦r, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, said the forum convened amid 'a deep state of uncertainty and global crises,' as the world confronts interconnected challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, poverty, and rising social and economic vulnerabilities. Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains uneven and insufficient, she added.

According to Oman News Agency, forests are not only immensely valuable ecosystems but indispensable natural assets for sustainable development, Sandkj¦r said. They contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, water regulation and land restoration, food security, livelihoods, energy access, and resilient economies.

The forum remains a vital platform for dialogue and collective ambition, she said, adding that the urgency of global challenges demands a decisive shift from commitment to actual implementation. This requires stronger political will, effective partnerships, and sustained support for translating global goals into concrete action.

More than half of global GDP depends on nature, and at least 33 million jobs supporting the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people are linked to the forest sector, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said, stressing that every effort must be made to protect this resource.

A new UN report released at the forum shows that while progress has been made on global forest goals, it has not reached the pace or scale needed to meet the six targets of the 2017-2030 Strategic Plan for Forests. Global forest area declined by more than 40 million hectares between 2015 and 2025, while funding for sustainable forest management remains far below estimated needs, the report found.