UNFF will also mark the launching of 2011 as the International Year of Forests, as decided by the United Nations' General Assembly in 2006. All the countries of the world are represented at the Forum.
KKL-JNF representatives and the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations are participating in forum discussions in which the resolutions to be approved at the end of the conference are worded. These decisions will be implemented by the next forum, two years from now. On January 31, KKL-JNF Director of Community Forest, Mr. Moshe Shaler, and KKL-JNF Director of Forest Management, Monitoring and GIS, Mr. Israel Tauber, participated in a discussion on the declarative ministerial document, while Mr. Aviram Zuk, supervisor of KKL-JNF Upper Galilee and Golan Heights Forests, together with Mr. Shuli Davidovitch of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in a discussion devoted to wording a document entitled, "Forests for People, Livelihoods, and Poverty Eradication."
KKL-JNF representatives at the UNFF. Photo: KKL-JNF Photo Archive
The KKL-JNF representatives also participated at a side-event of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) on promoting "green cities". The KKL-JNF delegation was invited to a special event of the United States Forest Service, together with the New York Municipality, at which the New York Green City project was launched.
On Monday, January 31, the delegation was hosted by the Israeli ambassador to the UN and his deputy for a discussion about the topics that KKL-JNF will be presenting at UNFF9. It is important to note that a representative of the Israeli mission to the United Nations will be appointed to head the group of Western European and North American countries at the forestry forum that will take place in two years from now.
On Tuesday, February 1, the KKL-JNF delegation held informal meetings with members of the Japanese delegation and discussed a Japanese initiative very similar to KKL-JNF's Hula Lake project. KKL-JNF representatives and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also worked on the wording of the UNFF's conclusive document and suggested an addendum relating to long-term monitoring of the world's forests.
The delegation also participated in a side event on the topic of forests in developing countries in Africa, and also in a discussion on creating dialogue between government offices, private sectors and communities to help protect open spaces in South America and Africa. In the evening, the KKL-JNF delegation was invited to the Finnish mission to the UN for an event launching International Forest Year, in the presence of the Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Forests and the ministers of agriculture of Kenya and Norway. The Finnish minister presented a long-term plan for Finland's forests, elements of which might be applicable in Israel.
On Wednesday, February 2, KKL-JNF, in partnership with the Israeli Mission to the United Nations, will be presenting a side event entitled "Forests in Arid and Semi Arid Zones: Enhancing the Quality of Life and Livelihood for Neighboring Communities."