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The Forest Pavilion at Climate COP29

We must change course. The climate crisis is deepening, and the SDGs are veering off course. Forests stand as the bedrock of our journey towards a net-zero, climate-resilient, and equitable future for all. At this critical moment for the achievement of the Global Forest Goals by 2030, it is imperative that forests are placed at the forefront of the global political agenda, including climate change negotiations.

The inaugural Forest Pavilion at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan provided a platform to strengthen political commitment and accelerate action for forests by all stakeholders. 

The Forest Pavilion was organized by the UNFF Secretariat and multi-stakeholder founding partners, as part of the reimagined SDG Pavilion organized by UN DESA. Daily programming was available throughout COP29 from 12 to 22 November 2024.  You can catch the events that took place on the main stage of the pavilion through the channel livestream. The summary of the events are a available on the UNFF Updates at COP29 – Forest Pavilion Newsletter.

Communiqué from Forest Pavilion Partners: Forests for Climate, People, and the Planet

Following the conclusion of the Forest Pavilion at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Pavilion partners released a communiqué titled From Baku to Belém: Forests for Climate, People, and the Planet. This document highlights key discussions, outcomes, and commitments to advancing forest-based climate actions. It also introduces the Roadmap to Belém, which was unveiled during the High-Level Event Forests for Climate, Nature, and People: Harnessing Climate Finance for Forests, convened on 21 November by the COP29 Presidency in collaboration with the UN Forum on Forests. As we look ahead to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the communiqué serves as a roadmap for action and collaboration.

Lead: UN Forum on Forest Secretariat (UNFFS)

Social Media Stage

2:00p.m. – 2:30p.m.
MoU Signing Event
Partner: Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO)

Main Stage

4:30p.m. – 6:00p.m.
The Forests of Central Africa: Mobilising the Region and International Community to Preserve the Congo Basin’s Forests and Biodiversity and Carbon
Presentation of the results of the Congo Basin Pledge 1.0 (2021-2025) and current thinking on the Congo Basin Pledge 2.0 Post-2025
Partner: Congo Basin Forest Partnership

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Lead: UN Forum on Forest Secretariat (UNFFS)

Main Stage and Social Media Stage

3:00p.m. – 4:30p.m.
Grand Opening of the Forest Pavilion
Partner: All Forest Pavilion partners

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Theme: Forest Finance, Investment and Trade | Concept Note | Flyer

Lead: People’s Republic of China
Co-Leads: Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC)

Social Media Stage

9:00a.m. – 9:30a.m.
Carbon Market in China

9:30a.m. – 9:50a.m.
China’s Practices in Green Finance

10:30a.m. – 11:00a.m.
Lessons learned from the Adaptation Fund for Agricultural Development Programme (ASAP)

11:30a.m. – 12:00p.m.
Global and Brazil Perspectives on the Forest Sector and COP30

Main Stage

2:00p.m. – 5:00p.m.
Solving the Forest Finance Puzzle in the Paris Agreement Era

2:00 – 2:15p.m. Opening remarks

2:15 – 2:45p.m. Setting the Scene: Forest Finance in the Paris Agreement

2:45 – 4:15p.m. Putting the Puzzle Together: Working as an Integrated Forest Finance Ecosystem

4:15 – 5:00p.m. Roundtable Discussion: Looking at the Entire Forest Finance Puzzle

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Theme: Forest Policy and Legal Instruments | Concept note | Promotional poster

Leads (Legal Instruments): Brazil, Global Judicial Institute on the Environment (GJIE), Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Lead (Forest Policy): Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO)

Main Stage

1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.
Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI): A Global Partnership to Improve the Legal Protection of Forests
Partners: IUCN WCEL, ICEL, UNEP

1:00 – 1:05p.m. Welcome Remarks

1:05 – 1:30p.m. Opening Statements

1:30 – 2:10p.m. Panel I: Role of the Law in Saving Forests

2:25 – 3:30p.m. Panel II:  Role of the Judiciary in the Implementation and Enforcement of Forest Laws

3:45 – 4:00p.m. Closing Remarks

4:30p.m. – 6:00p.m.
Advancing Forest Policies for Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Achievement and Carbon Market Access through International Cooperation
Partner: Gold Standard

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Theme: Science, Technology and Innovation / Digitalization

Lead: International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
Co-Lead: Center for International Forestry Research – World Agroforestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF)

Social Media Stage

9:30a.m – 9:50a.m.
Why Are Forests Central for Climate Action?
Nelson Grima (IUFRO)

9:50a.m. – 10:10a.m.
The Blue Carbon Deck: a Transformative Partnership Platform
Daniel Murdiyarso (CIFOR-ICRAF)

10:10a.m. – 10:30a.m.
Who Decides in Forest Matters?
Nelson Grima (IUFRO)

10:30a.m. – 10:50a.m.
Scaling Soil Health for Healthy Forests
Leigh Winowiecki (CIFOR-ICRAF)

10:50a.m. – 11:10a.m.
Progress and Lessons Learnt on how Vietnam and Indonesia Develop their Forest and Blue Carbon Market and Policies
Christopher Martius (CIFOR-ICRAF)

11:30a.m. – 11:50a.m.
Forests and Society towards 2050: Global Forest Research Cooperation for Climate Solutions
Alexander Buck (IUFRO)

11:50a.m. – 12:00p.m.
Tree-Based Bioeconomies for Climate Resilience and Sustainability
Peter Minang (CIFOR-ICRAF)

Main Stage

2:30p.m. – 3:20p.m.
Driving Sustainable Development through Science-Business Collaboration 
Carola Egger and Maja Radosavljevic (TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS)
Partner: IUFRO

3:30p.m. – 4:20p.m.
Innovations in private forest finance
Ross Hampton (ISFC) and panelists
Partner: International Sustainable Forestry Coalition

4:30p.m. – 5:05p.m.
Lessons Learnt from Deforestation Research
Christopher Martius and Pham Thu Thuy (CIFOR-ICRAF)
Partners: CIFOR-ICRAF

5:15p.m. – 6:00p.m.
Shaping policy through Technology
Monique Frison and Colin McFayden (Government of Canada)
Partner: Canadian Forest Service

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Theme: Women, children and youth, Indigenous Peoples

Lead: Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (PA2F)
Co-lead: Government of Canada, International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) / UNFF Youth and Children Major Group

Main Stage

9:30a.m – 11:00a.m.
Panel 1: Advances to the Path to COP30
Panel 2: Mechanisms to Support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
Partner: Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP)

11:15a.m – 1:00p.m.
Panel: Sustainable Climate Actions for Protecting Landscape and Inspiring New Generations in Forestry (SAPLING)
Partners: International Forestry Students Association (IFSA) & Grassroots Energy Management Support (GEMS)

4:00p.m – 5:30p.m.
Panel 1: Indigenous Knowledge and Rights in Forest Conservation
Panel 2: Empowering Women and Indigenous Leadership in Forest Conservation
Partners: International Ranger Federation (IRF), International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), Global Forest Coalition (GFC), Indigenous Guardians (Canada), The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) (NGO)

Social Media Stage

1:30p.m – 6:00p.m.

Podcast with Monique Frison (Canadian Forest Department)
Theme: Forest Futures: Innovations, Sustainability, and Community

Interviews (Ted Talk style) with Malamine Bodiane and Marynsia Mangu

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Theme: Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships

Lead: International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR)
Co-leads – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Committee on Climate Change and House of Representatives of the Philippines

Main Stage

1:00p.m. – 2:30p.m.
BambooBoost: For Prosperity, Climate Action, Resilience, and Biodiversity | Concept Note
Partner: UNFCCC & INBAR

2:30p.m. – 4:30p.m.
Promoting Transformative Innovation for Climate Action in Agroforestry | Concept Note
Partner: IICA & UNFCCC

4:30p.m. – 6:00p.m.
Bamboo Innovation Initiative – Promoting the Circular Economy
Partner: Government of the Philippines

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Theme: Sustainable Forest-Based Bioeconomy for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation |

Lead: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) / Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
Co-leads: Japan, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)

Main Stage

9:00a.m. – 1:00p.m.
Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) COP29 Events Series

9:00a.m. – 9:15a.m. Opening Session

9:20a.m. – 10:20a.m. Transparent Forest Data in Support of the Sustainable Forest-Based Bioeconomy
Partners: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

10:30a.m. – 11:25a.m. Realizing the Potential of the Forest-Based Bioeconomy through Sustainable Wood
Partners: Canada & Japan

11:25a.m. – 12:20p.m. Finance and Investment in Forest Product Value Chains for Climate Action
Partners: Costa Rica & Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

12:30p.m. – 1:00p.m. Closing Session
Partners: Japan

Lead: United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS)

4:00p.m. – 5:15p.m.
Primary Forests and Climate Change Mitigation
Partners: Global Environment Facility (GEF), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

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Theme: Forests, Nature and Biodiversity

Lead: UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Co-leads: Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat (CBDS) & International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA)

Main Stage

3:00p.m. – 3:45p.m.
Advancing Sustainable Development and Nature-Positive Outcomes through High-Integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets
Partners: Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)

4:00p.m. – 4:45p.m.
Pitch and Connect: Introducing the SAFE Initiative to Restore Vulnerable Forest Ecosystems
Partners: UNEP Safe Initiative & Korea Forest Service (KFS)

5:00p.m. – 6:00p.m.
UN-REDD flagship: Agriculture Forestry Innovation and Finance: Scaling Ambition towards 2030
Partner: UN-REDD

6:15p.m. – 6:45p.m.
Learning Tools for a Net-Zero, Biodiversity Future for Forest Countries
Partner: UN-REDD & KFS

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Main Stage

1:30p.m. – 3:00p.m.
Closing of the Forest Pavilion
Lead: UN Forum on Forest Secretariat (UNFFS)

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