On Friday, May 6, XV World Forest Congress drew to a close, wrapping up a very full week of events and networking.
In the morning, participants gathered for a final plenary session to listen to key findings from the various sessions and events held throughout the week, and considered outcomes from the conference, including detailed action proposals following the six sub-themes of the Congress.
In the afternoon, participants returned to the main hall for the presentation of Congress outcomes, including:
- a Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood
- a youth call for action, and
- the Seoul Forest Declaration.
Several participants emphasized that the overarching message coming out of XV WFC is that action needs to be taken immediately in order to stop deforestation and forest degradation, and to restore forest ecosystems.
In a brief closing ceremony, participants were presented with a summary video that recapped the week’s events. Participants listened to speeches by the Deputy Director-General, FAO, HRH Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan, and the Korea Forest Service Minister. XV WFC was declared closed at 5:00pm.
Please return to this site on Monday May 9 for a summary of highlights from XV WFC.
All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For XV WFC, please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera.
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Sustainable Pathways for Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future
Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General
Peter Csoka, Associate Secretary-General, XV WFC
Moderator Henry Bonsu, journalist and broadcaster
Serena Fortuna, FAO
Tae-Hun Nam, Deputy Minister, Korea Forest Service
Adriana Lucía Santa Méndez, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia
Jane Molony, South African Paper Manufacturers Association
Estelle Fach, Central African Forest Initiative Secretariat
Juan Carlos Jintiach, Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin (COICA)
Garo Batmanian, World Bank
Fabiola Martha Muñoz Dodero, Coordinator of the Coalition for Sustainable Production, Peru
Jennifer Hayes, Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, US Department of Agriculture
Nathalie Faure, Regional Community Forestry Training Centre for Asia and the Pacific
Phosiso Sola, Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry
Analí Bustos, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Elizabeth Nsimadala, President, East Africa Farmers Federation
Cécile Ndjebet, 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champion Award winner
Eun-sik Park, Korea Forest Service, and Secretary-General of the XV World Forestry Congress Secretariat
Peter Gondo, UN Forum on Forests
Closing Ceremony
Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General
Makhotso Magdeline Sotyu, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, South Africa
Zac Goldsmith, Minister for the Pacific and the International Environment, UK
John Parrotta, President, International Union of Forest Research Organizations
Juan Carlos Jintiach, COICA
Georg Schirmbeck, President, German Forestry Council
Georg Schirmbeck presents a sign made from a piece of wood from a 300-year old oak.
Amos Amanubo, FAO
Participants during the closing plenary
Moderator Jooyeon Cho, broadcaster
İsmail Belen and Mehmet Koç, General Directorate of Forestry, Turkey, announced Turkey’s interest in hosting the next WFC.
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan, FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador
Around the Venue
Children at the XV WFC Exhibition
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin team at XV WFC (L-R) Diego Noguera, Colombia; Asheline Appleton, Kenya/UK; María Gutiérrez, Mexico; and Peter Wood, Canada
