Forests at the Centre of Global Climate & Biodiversity Action: IUCN at the 21st United Nations Forum on Forests

The UN Forum on Forests plays a critical role in shaping global forest governance. Since its creation in 2000, the forum has established the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), of which IUCN is a member, facilitated the first UN Forest Instrument, a framework to strengthen political commitment and action to sustainable forest management, and adopted the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030, which outlines six Global Forest Goals to support cooperation and progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. These six goals call for:  

1. The reversal of forest cover loss
2. Improvement of forest benefits and livelihoods  
3. Protection of forest and sustainable use of forest products  
4. Mobilization of resources  
5. Promotion of inclusive forest governance  
6. Cooperation and work across sectors  

This year’s Forum launched the new Global Forest Goals Report 2026, which provides the latest global assessment of progress toward the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 and its six Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets.

The message from the report was clear: Progress is happening, but not at the pace or scale needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Among the report’s key findings:

• More than 40 million hectares of forest were lost globally between 2015 and 2025
• Only 7 of the 26 forest-related targets have been broadly met.
• Forests continue to face growing pressures from land-use change, climate impacts, wildfires, pests, and illegal activities.
• Financing for sustainable forest management remains far below what is needed.
• Stronger governance, cross-sector collaboration, and innovative financing mechanisms are essential to accelerate implementation.  

At the same time, the report also highlighted recent encouraging progress, including:

• Expansion of protected forest areas.  
• Primary forests are being recognized as critical carbon sinks essential for climate mitigation, as irreplaceable biodiversity reservoirs, and for having an important role in freshwater regulation and water security.  
• Increased forest restoration efforts.
• Improved monitoring systems and governance frameworks.
• Growing recognition of forests as essential natural infrastructure for climate. resilience, biodiversity, livelihoods, and water security.

As outlined in the IUCN Programme 2026 - 2029, IUCN is committed to advancing primary forest conservation and forest restoration as key solutions for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, water security, and sustainable livelihoods. Furthermore, as a long time member of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), IUCN remains committed to working alongside UNFF and its partners to bring the technical expertise, evidence-based solutions, and global networks needed to accelerate progress toward the Global Forest Goals and secure a sustainable future for the world's forests and the people who depend on them.