National reports

Monitoring, assessment, and reporting are core functions of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF). Voluntary national reports are crucial for evaluating progress toward implementing the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 and the United Nations Forest Instrument. These frameworks guide countries in advancing sustainable forest management.

Strategic Plan Overview

The UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 encompasses six Global Forest Goals and 26 targets, which countries aim to achieve by 2030. These Goals and targets are central to the Plan, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. National reports are key for the Forum to measure progress toward these Global Forest Goals, supplemented by data from the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other sources.

Past Reporting and Assessments

The inaugural national reporting cycle, on progress towards the implementation of the UNSPF took place in 2019 and 2020. The information from the national reports, combined with data from the FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment 2020, enabled the Forum to produce the Global Forest Goals Report 2021. This flagship publication, prepared by the Forum’s Secretariat within the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, detailed the actions and challenges faced by Member States. It also highlighted areas of progress and those requiring further attention.

Upcoming Reporting Cycle

In May 2024, UNFF19 endorsed the timeline for the next reporting cycle to the Forum for the period 2024–2026. This cycle will now be synchronized with the FAO five-year Global Forest Resources Assessment schedule, ensuring greater coherence in global forest reporting.

The Forum secretariat is actively advancing preparations for this new reporting cycle. Key developments include updates to the national reporting format, which has been revised   and piloted, and the establishment of an advisory group on reporting to the Forum.

Currently the secretariat is exploring options for an online reporting platform and potential capacity building activities related to monitoring, assessment and reporting.