Noting the strong congruence among the forest-related Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the four global objectives on forests, REDD+
4 activities and guidance, and the forest-related Sustainable Development Goals, and
emphasizing that their achievement is important for the implementation of the 2050 vision of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, as well as for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,3 recognizing also alternative policy approaches, such as the joint mitigation and adaptation approach for the integral and sustainable management of forests, noted in
decision XII/20, paragraph 4,
Stressing the need to enhance coherence, cooperation and synergies among forest-related agreements, and their processes and initiatives, both at the policy and implementation levels,
(a)Welcomes the resolution of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on the international arrangement on forests beyond 2015,
5 which strengthens the international arrangement and extends it to 2030;
(b)Also welcomes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development3 and, in particular, the forest-related targets under Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 15;
(c)Notes other initiatives to reduce forest loss and encourages Parties and all relevant stakeholders to take part, as appropriate, in their implementation, as a contribution to the achievement of the forest-related Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
(d)Invites the United Nations Forum on Forests, in developing the Strategic Plan 2017-2030 of the international arrangement on forests, to take into account the forest-related Aichi Biodiversity Targets, with a view to promoting a coordinated approach to the achievement of the forest-related multilateral commitments and goals;
(e)Also invites the members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, in preparing the 2017-2030 work plan of the Partnership, to consider ways and means of further enhancing their individual and collective contributions to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and support a coordinated approach to the achievement of the forest-related multilateral commitments and goals, such as the following:
(i)Sharing experiences and related information on the implementation of the forest-related Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
(ii)Identifying actions by which they could provide useful support to countries, including for the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, taking into account the different visions, approaches, models and tools to improve the integrated management of forests, including the development of technical capacity;
(iii)Examining their respective roles in order to leverage the comparative advantages of each of the members and to further enhance their joint contributions;
(iv)Improving monitoring of and reporting on progress, including the harmonization of indicators and reporting processes;
(v)Improving knowledge management, including through open data platforms and interoperability to facilitate the sharing and synthesis of information;
(f)Encourages Parties, when developing and implementing their forest policy in the context of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the other forest-related multilateral commitments and goals to take into account, as appropriate (i) other land uses, including agriculture, (ii) climate change mitigation and adaptation, and (iii) disaster risk reduction, and to give due consideration to the conservation and sustainable use of natural forests and native vegetation and avoiding the potential negative impacts of afforestation of non-forest biomes;
(g)Requests the Executive Secretary to strengthen collaboration with the members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, including the Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, as well as other relevant organizations and initiatives, to fully respond to the requests of the Conference of the Parties in paragraph 21 of
decision XII/6, to support the implementation of the present decision, and to report on progress to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice or the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, as appropriate, at a meeting prior to the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
