Focus on Arts and Ecology

25th Session of the Committee on Forestry

High-level dialogue on turning the

tide on deforestation

Date: Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM CEST

Languages: the event will be held in English, with simultaneous translation in

Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish

The Dialogue will provide strategic directions for FAO’s work to support its member states to undertake transformative actions to turn the tide on deforestation - particularly in the context of addressing deforestation in an integrated manner across agricultural value chains, tackling climate change, and in directing finance to a forest-friendly post-pandemic economic recovery.

Participants:

FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo will open the dialogue.

The Right Honourable Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister of State, Minister for Pacific and the Environment, United Kingdom, will be invited to follow to set the scene.

The high-level panel will be composed of ministers representing three Regional Forestry Commissions:

·        Her Excellency Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia;

·        His Excellency Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries;

·        Her Excellency Jeanne Ilunga Zaina, Vice Minister, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

Commentary will be provided by:

·        Ester Asin, Director, European Policy Office, WWF International;

·        Justin Adams, Executive Director, Tropical Forest Alliance – World Economic Forum.

·        German (Jerry) Velasquez, Director, Mitigation and Adaptation Division, GCF

Closing remarks will be provided by Mette Wilkie, Director, Forestry Division, FAO.

The panel will be moderated by Tim Christophersen, Head, Nature for Climate Branch, UN Environment Programme (UNEP).