The XV World Forestry Congress (XV WFC) will provide an opportunity for the global forestry community to consider the state and future of world forestry, particularly in the context of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Congress will focus on defining the role of forests in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other major agreements, including the Global Forest Goals, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Participants will also identify key measures that must be put in place as the forest sector adjusts to the new reality and aims to help “build back better.” Forests must be an integral part of discussions and decisions to be made on sustainable development, because this will determine the health, wellbeing and stability of the planet and all people.

The Congress will identify key measures and recommendations for enhancing this role, and review progress made towards the implementation of recommendations made at the XIV World Forestry Congress in 2015, held in Durban, South Africa.

Sub-theme dialogues will address: reversing deforestation and degradation; nature-based solutions for climate and biodiversity; green pathways to growth and sustainability; forests and human health; managing and communicating forest information and knowledge; and forests without boundaries.

The Congress, considered to be one of the most influential forest-related events in the world, has been held approximately every six years since 1926, but has not been held in the Asia-Pacific region since 1978, when it was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. It brings together experts, decision makers, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and the private sector to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the forestry sector.

XV WFC will convene in Seoul, Republic of Korea, 2–6 May 2022, with the central theme of “Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future with Forests.” The Congress is organized by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) and hosted by the Republic of Korea.