{"id":293326,"date":"2026-05-11T11:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/80\/?p=293326"},"modified":"2026-05-11T11:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:16:14","slug":"pga-remarks-at-the-21st-session-of-un-forum-on-forests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/80\/2026\/05\/11\/pga-remarks-at-the-21st-session-of-un-forum-on-forests\/","title":{"rendered":"PGA Remarks at the 21st session of UN Forum on Forests"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock<\/strong><\/p>\n

President of the 80th<\/sup> Session of the Â鶹APP General Assembly<\/strong><\/p>\n

at the 21st<\/sup> session of UN Forum on Forests<\/strong><\/p>\n

Monday 11 May 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conference Room 4, Â鶹APP<\/strong><\/p>\n

[As Delivered]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Chair,<\/p>\n

Mr. President of ECOSOC,<\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sometimes the most basic things are the hardest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Already in primary school we all learn, all of our kids learn, that without trees and forests, we would literally not be able to breathe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We know that we rely on forests for our food, for protection and resilience, for biodiversity, for our climate.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even the numbers speak for themselves:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

44 trillion USD, more than half of global GDP, is dependent on nature.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At least 33 million jobs \u2013 supporting the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people \u2013 are related to the forestry sector.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, all economists, all companies, should know as well, that it is in our vital self-interest that we would do everything in our power to protect this resource.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yet, to date, we still do the opposite \u2013 destroy it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In fact, it is estimated that we currently destroy over 4 million hectares each year.\u00a0 And in doing so, taking away the very air we breathe, the food we eat, and the resources that charge our economies.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Often this is not simply due to neglect, but because we see this conversation as a zero-sum game\u2026 about choosing environmental protection, on the one hand, or economic growth, on the other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even though, you learn that in high-school, they are two sides of the same coin, and people who have lived for generations in, and with, the forest, know and have demonstrated to us, that you can have it both ways\u2026 you can sustainably use what feeds you, while preserving it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the sidelines of the COP30 in Belem, I was visiting a family chocolate production at the edge of the Amazon rainforest. Showing how you could use the product of the forest sustainably\u2026 how making a business and even exporting it to other countries, while preserving the forest can go hand-in-hand, if it\u2019s politically backed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And this has to be politically backed, as yes, indeed, we are living in a world of business.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And we are living in a world where you can choose how you design your trade agreements. And if trade agreements support that we still can breathe and harvest the food of the forest, while making business, this works.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Consider, for example, the recent Mercosur trade agreement, which included compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement, supporting, by extension, labels for sustainably sourced products, especially from the rainforest, and therefore sustainable trade.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, the question is not what to do, but how do we embrace this level of sustainable forest management at the macro level? How do we protect a resource that is so vital to people and communities, to countries and all our economies?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

First of all, and as we are trying to not work in silos but to be interconnected, first of all we should listen to indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is estimated that over 5,000 Indigenous groups manage or protect around 80 per cent of the world\u2019s biodiversity. Embracing their leadership and valuing their knowledge and culture. And, where possible, support their proven efforts with modern technologies, such as drones and artificial intelligence to track illegal logging to protect the rainforest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Second, translate the agreements made right here into real, tangible results.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Because declaring international years \u2013 and international decades \u2013 for forest protection are noble gestures, but they will remain just that unless there is meaningful follow-up action back home, in again, legislation. You need local actions \u2013 such as sustainable labeling for timber products \u2013 that align with government policies and international agreements.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which brings me to my third point, mobilizing resources and strengthening partnerships, as none of this happens on its own.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We need to strengthen existing mechanisms that bring together various sectors for a whole-of-society approach, that includes partnerships such as the UNFCCC\u2019s REDD+ programme, which offers financial credits in return for efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

None of this happens without you and your governments, as that is where these agreements succeed or fail. And this is why your engagement, also your personal engagement is so important. As we have seen, especially in these fragmented times, what power can be generated when all of those who believe that we are better together join forces. When all levels of government align on these priorities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Consider Brazil, where in the last 12 months deforestation has reached the lowest level since 2014.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Or consider Niger, where the Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration initiative, supported by partners like UNDP, has helped restore over 4 million hectares of land, protecting against soil erosion and boosting irrigation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are dozens more examples like this, and according to the latest FAO data, more than half of the world\u2019s forests are now covered by long-term management plans, and one fifth are within legally established protected areas. So, we can indeed be better together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These are successes we must build upon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Today\u2019s discussion, alongside the launch of the new Global Forest Goals Report, is an opportunity to take stock and to sharpen our path forward\u2026 to strengthen implementation, and to deliver what we know is possible: a true win-win for environmental preservation and economic growth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So let us address this issue with the seriousness it deserves\u2014for we depend on forests not only for our livelihoods but also our very lives, as we have all learned already, in primary school.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock President of the 80th Session of the Â鶹APP General Assembly at the 21st session of UN Forum on Forests Monday 11 May 2026 Conference […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":373,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81,111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-293326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nPGA Remarks at the 21st session of UN Forum on Forests | General Assembly of the Â鶹APP<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/80\/2026\/05\/11\/pga-remarks-at-the-21st-session-of-un-forum-on-forests\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PGA Remarks at the 21st session of UN Forum on Forests | General Assembly of the Â鶹APP\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remarks by H.E. 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