The Forum on Forests is a high-level intergovernmental political program that facilitates the implementation of agreements on sustainable forest management, the expansion of international cooperation, and the coordination of policies and programs on forestry issues. It was established in 2000 by the decision of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOS).

The forum was attended by delegations of 193 UN member states and observers at the ministerial level, heads of forestry departments, representatives of international and regional organizations, including partner organizations on forests.

During the session, the thematic priorities for the implementation of the UN strategic plan for forests for 2017-2030 were discussed. The mid-term implementation of the International Agreement on Forests was reviewed. The participants exchanged views on the issues of expanding protected forest areas, increasing the share of forest products, as well as mobilizing financial resources and strengthening scientific and technical cooperation.

The delegation of our country led by the director of the Forestry Agency of Uzbekistan Nizomiddin Bakirov participated in the events of the forest forum.

In the high-level segment of the forum, information was provided on the measures implemented in Uzbekistan to increase forests, protect forestry resources and combat land degradation. The essence and importance of the concept of forestry development until 2030 was emphasized. It was reported in the document that it is planned to increase the forest area of our country from 7% to 15%.

The nationwide program "Green Space" implemented by the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has made a special mention of the list of model projects for the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It was mentioned that 200 million saplings are planted annually in all regions of our country within the framework of the program. The fact that about 3 million saplings are provided to the population free of charge is a sign of Uzbekistan's desire to solve this problem and the fact that the local community is widely involved in this work.

As it was noted, for the further development of forestry in Uzbekistan, projects with a total value of more than 400 million dollars will be implemented in the next 6 years, of which more than 250 million dollars will be directed to the restoration of mountain forests and the development of ecotourism. It was emphasized that all our activities are aimed at supporting the local population and creating "green" jobs. As mentioned, it is planned to create more than 6,000 new "green" jobs this year.

The attention of the participants was drawn to Uzbekistan's active efforts in the field of environmental diplomacy. Samarkand will host two major UN environmental events - the 21st meeting of the Executive Body of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CRIC-21) and the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. session (CMS COP-14) was successfully held.

The main outputs of the 19th session were the High-level Segment Declaration and the Consolidated Resolution containing the results of the mid-term evaluation, as well as the forum's new four-year work program for 2025-2028.

The Forum Declaration was adopted for the first time in ten years. In it, member states are committed to the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan on Forests, which aims to protect forests and trees at all levels, manage them sustainably, stop deforestation and forest degradation, as well as to achieve sustainable development until 2030. reaffirmed its firm commitment to support the implementation of the action plan.