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Foreword
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]3
Jan L. McAlpine, Director, United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat,
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Forests provide sustenance and livelihoods for an estimated 1.6 billion people across the world. They directly contribute to poverty
reduction and the alleviation of hunger by providing jobs and incomes for poor families. In a global environment where the challenges
are many – from growing unemployment rates to rising food prices and climate-related stresses – the need to manage our natural
resources sustainably has become all the more urgent.
There has been increased interest in realizing the full potential of forests for global sustainable development in recent years and the
United Nations General Assembly’s decision to proclaim 2011 the International Year of Forests has been instrumental in translating
this interest into year-long action. Since its inception in 2000, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), a subsidiary body
of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), has had the main objective of promoting the management,
conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and strengthening long-term political commitment to this end.
People’s interactions with forests provide practical experiences on how to operationalize sustainable development, translating
rhetoric to reality and providing a valuable toolkit of good practices and lessons learned. Coordinated efforts and cross-sectoral
approaches are required to maximize the benefits of forests for the sustainable development of people. In June 2012, the international
community will converge on Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Forests offer tested
solutions to key challenges in sustainable development and contribute to all three pillars that support such development.
The publication of
Forests for People
as part of the activities to commemorate the International Year of Forests, 2011 will undoubtedly
contribute to raising awareness and strengthening sustainable forest management for the benefit of current and future generations. The
stories that comprise this publication draw upon diverse experiences from around the world, reflecting the many ways in which people
are changing their interaction with forests to improve the sustainability of their development.
Achieving sustainable solutions ultimately requires a process of dialogue and shared learning. This publication contributes to such a
process by bringing together best practices from governments and stakeholders and I am certain that
Forests for People
will contribute
to greater understanding and a convergence of approaches for forests and people – and their sustainable future worldwide.
Jan L. McAlpine
Director, United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs