(6th meeting) UN Forum on Forests, 21st session (UNFF21)

Good morning, dear colleagues. We have our meetings here actually for a dense discussion. I hope everyone is good, you had good breakfast, you had good rest. Today will be a very difficult day for all of us. and I believe very fruitful one. So, I'm starting officially. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I call to order the 6th meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forests at its 20th First session. I now invite the Forum to continue its joint consideration of the Agenda Item 3, policy discussions on the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030. Including consideration of relevant proposals contained in the Chair's Summary from the 20th Session and its sub-items A to G, Agenda Item 4, initial discussions on the final review of the effectiveness of the international arrangements on forests, in achieving its objectives. Agenda Item 5, Trust Fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests, and Agenda Item 6, Emerging Issues. In this connection, the Forum has before it a draft resolution entitled Outcome of the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, which was circulated in an informal paper in advance of this meeting and which I have submitted in my capacity as Chair of the Forum. The draft resolution will be issued in document A/CN.18/2026/L1. I have been informed that the zero draft resolution has no program budget implications. Since the negotiations on the final draft resolution only concluded last night, it has not been possible for the Secretariat to provide advice on any potential program budget. Implications. Therefore, the Secretariat will provide advice to the Economic and Social Council before the Council's consideration of the report of the Forum. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, I hope again you had a restful night And that you are well prepared for the final stage of our work. Today, we need your smiling, your support. Today, we have reached the final stage of a week-long process. Over the past days, our discussions have been intensive, constructive, and I believe valuable. As a forester and as the chair of UNFCCC 21 chair, I would like to thank each and every of you sincerely and wholeheartedly. Many of you have traveled from different parts of the world, from very long distances, to be here at the United Nations Headquarters. Headquarters. Your presence here is important and deeply valued. I am fully aware of the time, effort, and commitment that this requires. Dear colleagues, in my opening remarks on Monday, May 11th, I invited all of you to work collaboratively and constructively to make UNFF 21 a great success through the adoption of a solid resolution. I indicate that at the time that multilateralism faces numerous challenges, it is crucial for us to demonstrate again the ability and added value of UNFF as a universal intergovernmental body on forests, to advance multilateral action on forests by adopting the omnibus resolution at this session. Throughout this week, you were engaged in rich and fruitful discussions during the plenary sessions. More specifically, you actively participated in the intensive informal consultations on the UNFF 21 draft omnibus resolution and succeeded in identifying the global priorities and actions meeting the global forest-related objectives and goals. I know many of you worked in the late nights and in the very early mornings, same Like me, I went to bed yesterday about 1 a.m. and got up 3 a.m. in the morning. Like some of you, your work has been amazing in terms of developing and agreeing on a truly solid draft in a short in such a short period of time. The draft on the resolution that you have before. you is the result of your hard work. You own it and you deserve to receive its credit. The Forum has 197 members, almost 200 members we have here, and numerous partners, and it is obvious to expect differences of views among its members and partners on some issues. After all, what is important is that you sorted out major differences, identified the priority actions, and provided valuable guidance on the way forward for the Forum and beyond that the international arrangement on forests. The Bureau is very aware that the draft does not cover hundreds percent of the views expressed, and we can never be perfect. Sorry for that. But I can assure that in preparing this draft, the Bureau carefully considered your key concerns and respected your red flags, and to the best of its ability, tried to provide a balanced draft. Now we have 2 options. Ahead of you. One option is to be a perfectionist, and each delegation takes the floor and tries to modify and include additional details of their views in different parts of the draft. This will then drag us at this last hour or so to the UNFF to lengthy discussions which will jeopardize the adoption of the resolution. And will lead to returning home with disappointment and without a resolution, shedding ambiguity and uncertainty about the future of the forum and global action on forests. The second option is to be realistic and avoid being a perfectionist and accept that the current text largely reflects the key concerns and views of the delegations in a balanced way. The Bureau firmly believes that we should follow the second option. Having said that, I invite you to demonstrate maximum flexibility and understanding by adopting this draft resolution and refrain from suggesting modifications and changes in the draft at this last hour. This is crucial for preserving the result of your precious collective work. In this respect, I invite the Forum to adopt this draft in its entirety and as is. Of course, if your delegation wishes to make a statement on your general position or reservation regarding any issue contained in the outcome documents, on UNFF 21, your reflection in the official report of this session, you may do so. However, I appeal to all delegations to refrain from suggesting modifications to the draft resolution. After that, dear colleagues, does— I hope you like my speeches. It means we are waiting your thanks. So my question, my official question: Does any delegation wish to make a statement before the adoption of the draft resolution? Please, this is your turn. You have the floor. We are ready for your thanks, or of course any proposal you have. We are here. Thank you. Yes, in my list I see my dear colleagues from European— from Cyprus on behalf of the European Union, followed by Colombia, followed by Brazil, Colombia, and Russian Federation. Cyprus, you have the floor, please.

Thank you very much, Chair. Speaking on behalf of the EU and its 27 member states, we highly appreciate all the efforts you have done in the Bureau in order to accommodate all concerns raised. We have nevertheless not the same understanding as you have presented that this morning session should only for taking it as it is. We were very insisting yesterday in seeking clarification on what if we did not agree to Paris, and the information we got from you in the chair seat yesterday was that indeed if we had some substantial issues to the text which we could examine during the night and the morning, we could raise them here, and this is our understanding of the negotiations, and therefore we do not have a general statement to offer for you at this stage, but we would like to insist on providing our views on a few parameters. We have been extremely selective and in the spirit of compromise we are also ready to prioritize very strictly to the important issues and we would like to actually raise those issues so that you can understand where we have our concerns. Ask for your permission to actually inform about those concerns we have. This is the first time in a plenary session that we see this text and as you will recall, although we did hard work in the informal informals yesterday, there were indeed issues where we were very far from each other on some paragraphs and we did not really believe that there was a justification to assume that there could be consensus on this ground. This is why we would like, Mr. Chair, if you allow, to come up with a few paragraphs where we have issues we would like to raise. Will you allow that, Chair?

Yes, sure, you are open to raise your hands for any issues, but as I said, The text already completed. Of course, you are able to raise your hands if any— after your speech, if you have any objection to your text, it will be difficult. So you are open to say something, of course.

Yes, please.

Anders Wijndahl. We can also do it without having the text on the screen. That would be fine. Okay, that's very fine, but then we would just refer to paragraph 12. There is an inconsistent language as compared to what is normally used in UN settings on the reference to taking into account their national circumstances, priorities, policies, and capabilities. We would like to delete the word policies. This is unusual and we would be very concerned in introducing new language to this formula which is used a number of places. So we would ask for the deletion of policies. And on paragraph 13, which as you know we have been opposing all the way through from day one because we have had significant concerns to that paragraph and we still have. We have worked on it overnight and also this morning, and we have some suggestions for minor editorial— no, they are not editorial. This is not what we're asking for here. We have some— a few proposals we would like to suggest. In line 1, paragraph 13, notes the role that productive forests, we would like to insert sustainably managed forests. We believe this forum has consistently been promoting SFM. This is probably one of the very key reasons for it, so we would very much like colleagues to support that we insert sustainably managed forests. We also have a new introduction of family farming, which is quite unusual in, in this. This is a forest session. We would like the deletion of the word farming so that the sentence would be family and community-based forest management. And then, as you will recall, we, uh, we called for a more balanced approach in this text. so that we could cover all GFTs. And we would have liked to also include that in the text in line 2, can play in.

I'm sorry.

advancing GFDs, the UNFSPF, and the 2030 Agenda. So these are a few amendments to this para which we worked with a lot during the week that could probably make it acceptable for us.

Thank you.

And the last para, which I assume my colleague from the EU will talk to, is on 13.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you, thank you for your speech on behalf of European Union. Thanks so much. So in my list I see Brazil. You have the floor, please, Brazil.

Thank you, Chair. We would like first to thank the Bureau, thank the Secretariat and all delegations here for all the efforts, tireless efforts throughout this session. We think the text before us reflects a serious attempt to have a comprehensive and balanced outcome from UNFF 21. We were able to find compromise in a text that is responsive to the present moment and to the priorities that are expressed, that were expressed by forum members and its delegations here during our discussions. Naturally, as in any negotiated outcome, this draft does not fully reflect every position or preference. Of every delegation, including ours, by the way. We had to show some flexibility on issues of importance to us, but we recognize that this flexibility is necessary if we are to preserve the overall balance of this text and to ensure that we're able to deliver an outcome today. Therefore, we are strongly opposed, so we object the reopening of the text to any kind of discussion today. We are here to adopt this resolution, not to rediscuss it. Uh, EU's— we were We would be— we could have heard this EU's proposals yesterday during the informal informal, but it didn't come when we were discussing paragraph 13. They could even be welcomed actually in the negotiation during the informal consultation, but now is not the time to do that. We don't want to open the text for a discussion. This should be very clear on that. We are in a politically very sensitive moment, as we all know, so in this time it's particularly important that all delegations continue to approach this process in a constructive spirit so we protect the progress achieved so far and avoid reopening delicate compromises. So we are ready to join consensus on the basis of the text presented by the Bureau, and we encourage all delegations to show the flexibility that is needed for the adoption of a strong outcome— or an outcome today at UNFF 21. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Brazil, for your support. Now, in my list, I see Colombia. You have the floor, please.

Gracias, Chair.

Thank you, Chair. Good morning, Chair. Thank you very much for these considerations. I'd just like to echo the words of our colleague from Brazil, but especially I'd like to focus on procedural matters and considerations on the pace of the work. If other delegations had had considerations and received information— and we completely understand that there are concerns because there are concerns on this text for all of us. This is a negotiating space for all of us in which you lose in some instances and some initiatives and you win on others. That's the spirit of negotiation. But what I'd like to say is that If some delegations or the EU delegation could think about some of the ideas that it's sharing with us today, we all other delegations should have the possibility also to consider not immediately, not in 5 minutes or 10 minutes, but we should have a discussion. We don't want to reopen the discussion. We think that if that's the way we take, we would generate a difficult precedent. We'd be changing the whole idea of the forum. We wouldn't be coming into an adoption session but into another negotiation, new consultations. So we don't think that it's right to reopen the text right now. Or if it does open, we need to have a way forward for all delegations, we'd all need to have adjustments and consideration on this text. We all have those things here at this point. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Colombia. Now I see Russian Federation on my list.

Distinguished Chair, distinguished colleagues, we too would like to provide you with our overall Comments on the draft. In our opinion, the text of the resolution is sufficiently balanced. It does reflect the difficult period in which we're living.

We—

it does reflect the concerns that most people here have. Nonetheless, the text does have some parts in it that do not suit, or to a lesser extent suit, some members. Frankly speaking, I'd like to say that we are not against those proposals in principle that our EU colleague has put forward. However, we really want to stick to the rules and procedure, and we don't want to open up the discussion once again on the text. It has been carefully drafted, it's balanced, and we have had sufficient time to express our concerns, our positions. So we'd like to urge consensus. We, as Russia, are prepared to approve the text as proposed by the Chair and the Bureau as the outcome of our discussions. De facto, if we were to do otherwise, we would just be starting all over again. Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you. Thank you, Russia. I see Morocco. You have the floor, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. I think it's time today to congratulate ourselves on all the work that's been done and on the constructive spirit shown by all delegations. I think that the signal we're giving today is a strong signal on the urgency of speeding up the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan on Forests and its global goals by 2030. We think it's a balanced text. We've been able to reflect basically everything that was in the collective overview, taking into account priorities. And we have an inclusive approach that takes into account all the stakeholders. With regard to the adoption of this text, I'd like to reiterate the previous positions. To say that the rule now is to adopt this text. Obviously, we don't oppose the proposals of the European Union, but for operational questions, we'd urge you not to reopen the text for discussion or negotiation and just to adopt the text as it is. I thank you very much, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you. Thank you, Morocco. I see Peru in my list.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Good morning, colleagues. Firstly, Peru would like to congratulate the Chair for leading the work this week, recognize the efforts made by the Bureau and Secretariat of the Forum to facilitate a consensual result that's balanced. Throughout this process, the Bureau has worked meticulously, carefully to reflect as well as possible the various priorities, sensitivities, concerns expressed by the delegations. Peru would therefore like to express its support for the draft resolution as submitted by the Bureau. We think that it reflects a careful balance that's been built through intense informal consultations, informal informals, 2 revised versions of the text we've had. So we don't think it's right to reopen substantive negotiations or make more textual modifications at this stage of the process, particularly taking account of the fact that the program of work of the Forum doesn't make provision for any additional work, any additional time for such negotiations. So we think that reopening the text at this point could be impractical, which is not to say completely counterproductive to the work that we're doing collectively to achieve a consensual and balanced result. So we therefore like to encourage delegations to maintain the spirit of flexibility and compromise that has enabled us to get to the text that we have before us today and please adopt it by consensus. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Peru. I see European Union again. Yeah, you have the floor, please. I think my colleagues there— actually, your proposal was not the main ingredients of the text, so I hope you will satisfy with our text. Yeah, you have the floor, please.

Thank you. I'm speaking on behalf of the EU and its member states. My colleague from Cyprus alluded to me taking the floor later, so that's what I'm doing now. I would like to present the final tweak that we have in mind, which is in paragraph 16 on means of implementation. We believe that The reference to at all levels at the end is not something we have discussed at all, let alone proposed. It should come after from all sources. We've had extensive discussions about that, and we were surprised that it wasn't included. I'm hearing the reactions in the room to our edits and our proposal to look at these. I want to be very clear that these were all sensitive issues. They all went into the informal informals. And like my colleague said from Cyprus, we weren't close to agreements on them in the informal informals. So this text that has come out is quite new, actually. It's not text we were able to respond to before. And therefore, some of the proposals we're making— and this is in response to my Brazilian colleague— were not proposals we could even have made because we only saw the text last night. At 9:30. The fact that these discussions remained open shows that there was still work to be done, and we believe that we can still do that work this morning. We are ready to engage with all interested delegations in a spirit of constructive negotiations, also on procedural issues, to make sure that everyone's concerns are properly addressed. So we hope we will have an opportunity to do so this morning. Thank you very much.

Thank you, distinguished delegates of European Union. I see Mexico in my list.

Mr. Chair, Mexico thanks the Chair for its and the Secretary for its work in leading this process and thinks that the text that we have reached reflects in general terms an appropriate balance between the various priorities and interests of the member states. We think that the draft resolution incorporates in a balanced way elements related to means of implementation, capacity building, forest financing, restoration, integrated fire management, reporting and monitoring, and international cooperation and institutional strengthening of this forum. We recognize the efforts made to maintain constructive language that's action-oriented and preserves the inclusive and universal nature of the forum. Mexico particularly values the fact that the text reaffirms the importance of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017 to 2030. And the Global Forest Goals as a framework to orient international cooperation and accelerate the implementation of sustainable forest management. We also think that it's positive that there's recognition of the links between forests and other global challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, food security, and sustainable development. Mexico also appreciates the references to national capacity building, access to adequate financing that's also stable and predictable, and the need to promote inclusive approaches that recognize the role of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, and young people in the conservation and sustainable management of forests. Lastly, Mexico thinks that it's brave that the text recognizes international and regional cooperation, exchanges of information and best practices, and the importance of avoiding duplication and rationalizing reporting and follow-up efforts. We think that the resolution offers a solid base to carry on enhancing the work of the Forum and moving towards the effective implementation of its mandates in the period before the International Agreement on Forests for 2030.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mexico. I see in my list Indonesia. Indonesia, you have the floor, please.

Thank you, Chair. Good morning, everyone. Indonesia wishes to express its appreciation to the co-facilitators and all delegations for their dedication and flexibility throughout this negotiation process. We have followed the discussion closely and contributed constructively in the spirit of compromise and consensus building. While not all of Indonesia's proposals and priorities have been fully reflected in the final text, we are prepared to support its adoption. We recognize that the document before us represents a delicate and carefully negotiated balance achieved through extensive consultations and difficult compromise— compromises among member states. In this regard, Indonesia wishes to underscore the importance of preserving this balance and avoiding the reopening of agreed language at this stage. Reopening individual elements risks unsettling the overall equilibrium of the text and could undermine the collective efforts infested by all delegations throughout the process. Indonesia encourages delegations to preserve the current formulation in the spirit of consensus and to maintain the integrity of the compromise already reached.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Now, I see Malaysia in my list.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Malaysia wishes to support the suggestion proposed by my fellow colleagues from Brazil, Colombia, Russia Federation, Morocco, and Peru, and is of the view that the current text should not be reopened at this stage in the interest of preserving the balance of the text and facilitating a smooth and timely conclusion of the text. Therefore, Malaysia is in the opinion of not reopening the text.

Thank you.

Thank you, Malaysia. No, I see Islamic Republic of Iran on my list.

And thank you, Chair, for the floor, and many thanks for you and the Secretariat and the members of the Bureau and also the entire membership. The Islamic Republic of Iran would like to express its appreciation to all countries for their valuable efforts in strengthening and enriching the draft resolution. The text before us is a symbol of cooperation, although it's not perfect. Mr. Chairman, I saw that each delegation trying to enrich, to provide something for sustainable forest development, and we appreciate such a kind of cooperation. Iran joins others in supporting the text and expect that this resolution provide a solid basis for enhancing cooperation at different international and regional levels to the sustainable forest management.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Iran. Now I see South Africa in my list. You have the floor, please.

Thank you very much, Chair.

Let South Africa would want to join those that spoke before us in appreciating your leadership and hard work that led us to the outcome that we now have in front of us. an outcome which we are not entirely happy with, but ready and willing to support because it reflects a balance of all the inputs from all countries. You'll recall that we also, because of the size of our delegation, couldn't be part of the informal informal consultations, but— and we're also happy to welcome that which came out of those consultations without reservations.

We will therefore—

and are ready to support that we adopt the current resolution as is, and we thank you very much once again, Chair.

Thank you, South Africa. With this one, We completed our list. I see United Kingdom on my list. You have the floor, please.

Thank you, Chair, and good morning, colleagues. Just reflecting on the discussion that we've had this morning. From the UK's perspective, I think it's unfortunate that we weren't able to continue with the informal consultations last night, because I think we may have made a little more progress if we had taken a bit more time. And I think there's probably been a little bit of confusion about exactly how we would proceed this morning in terms of whether consultations would happen or not. So setting all of that aside and recognizing that For us, there are also aspects of the text that we would have liked to see reflected in a different way, but we are able to accept it as is and would join with others in proposing that we do continue as you have proposed this morning and adopt the resolution as it is. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Thank you, United Kingdom. Now, with the United Kingdom, we have completed our list of speakers. So, to European delegation, thank you so much for your proposal, but we are seeking your understanding to adopt our resolution as it is, since most of the delegates have the opinion to go further. So, with your permission, my dear colleagues, of course you are able to raise your hands after the adoption of the omnibus resolution, but within this case— and I see no—

Cyprus.

Cyprus, you have the floor, please, on behalf of European Union.

Thank you very much, Chair. We have heard the opinions in the room and your guidance. We would like to repeat that we regret that there has been unclarity on the process as outlined by our colleague from the UK. There could have been an opportunity to continue informals, but they were adjourned long before we found the final solutions. So we will come up with a statement on this, having considered all the views in the room. If you insist on putting it on for adoption, we will not oppose to that, but we will make a statement on our thoughts on Thank you.

I love the foresters. Thank you so much. Yeah, dear colleagues, my thanks to Cyprus, to the European Union, and I see no other request for the floor.

No?

May I go?

Yes, please.

With the appreciation to the European Union, may I take it that the Forum wishes to adopt the draft resolution entitled Outcome of the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, to be issued as document E/CN.18/2026?

Yes.

I move to adopt the text of the resolution as amended in its entirety, as amended in Annexes L.1, and recommend it to the Economic and Social Council for adoption. I see no, no objection, so it is so decided. Congratulations for all of us. Dear colleagues, we adopted our resolution unanimously. Thank you so much. I, I believe it will be very important for the after. So that's Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the adoption of the draft resolution? I see the delegate, distinguished delegate of Cyprus on behalf of the European Union.

Could we have half a minute, please?

Sure.

Yeah, sure. To get prepared. Is there any? Yeah, I thank you, God. Where is Argentina? I see Argentina in my list. Yeah, you have to vote, please.

Grazie. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Objectives of the forum in a way that respects the various national situations. Argentina confirms its commitment to forest management and the United Nations Forum. The forum should only use sources from the United Nations system in its work, avoiding the use of sources whose scientific origin is not defined and that could be questionable. In that framework, we think that the drafting of paragraph 9 of the resolution approved that promotes a broad and undefined source of other relevant uses of forest data and information is inadvisable. My country would like to remind everyone that we must avoid deforestation and land degradation by 2030 for the COP 30 of the UNFCCC in Brazil will have the effect of a non-consensual development presented by the presidency of that body that Argentina did not consent to. Argentina is committed to the measures adopted by the members of the European Union in terms of deforestation and the so-called forest degradation, which must be must agree with the terms of the WTO, avoiding unjustified additions and unilateral measures that are incompatible with international law. Argentina therefore reminds everyone that we have the Pact for the Future and that the Agenda 2030, the SDGs, in which we engage with good faith, are non-legally binding commitments that are that each state, in accordance with its sovereignty, can interpret and pursue freely. The international consultations on forests will remain one of the national priorities and it will relate to the circumstances of developing countries and their sovereignty over their national resources. We hope that the present statement will be included in the record of the meeting. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Argentina. I see China in my list. China, you have the floor, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good morning, everyone, colleagues. Congratulations on the adoption of the resolution, and we should say thank you so much To everybody working in this room, it is your effort, your patience, your support, and your compromise that make the meeting a successful one. We also would like to take the opportunity to express our wish that in the coming years more and more plans can be translated into the on-the-ground activities and actions. Finally, we also wish UNFPA Secretariat, under the leadership of Juliette Biao, its capacity, its function can be strengthened and promote it, particularly during the process of UNAT initiative, leading the world forestry to another period of prosperous and productive. Thank you so much.

Thank you, China. Now I see Cyprus on behalf of the European Union. on my list, followed by Russian Federation. Cyprus, you have the floor, please.

Thank you very much, Chair. The European Union and its member states have supported this resolution because we are pleased that the resolution contains important updates. However, we would like to express our concerns on 4 paras. First, we regret that despite clear concerns from our side expressed throughout the week, APERA 13 has been included in an unbalanced way. In relation to the reference to family farming, the EU and its member states recall that expansion of agricultural land remains the main driver of deforestation and reaffirms its commitment to the global goal on halting and reversing deforestation by 2030. We would also like to have seen that all forests, including productive forests, are to be sustainably managed, and this would have been clearer reflected in the text. Second, we regret that paragraph 16 on means of implementation does not track agreed language more closely from previous UNFF negotiated outcomes, including the placement of the term at all levels, which should not be limited to scientific exchange but cover finance— financing instead. Third, we regret the addition of the term policies in paragraph 12. As this deviates from the standard terminology which does not include this term. Finally, we repeat our well-known position at Peru too that technology transfer should take place on voluntary and mutually agreed terms. It is unfortunate that there was not more time to discuss these issues exhaustively. We will not accept that any of the formulations in these 4 paragraphs are considered precedents in the future, either in UNFF or other international fora. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, the distinguished delegates of Cyprus, on behalf of European Union. Thank you so much. Now I see Russian Federation in my list. You have the floor, please.

We would like to thank all member states and the chair and the secretariat and the bureau for the excellent, enormous work done. We believe that there are always going to be some pending issues that have not been fully discussed or not fully thought through, but really this just bears witness to the fact that life goes on, the climate changes, The economy changes, things change, life goes on. And when step by step we go through the different sessions, we use our efforts to make a contribution to changing the situation. We pool the efforts of countries to try and overcome negative trends. We believe that the resolutions that have been adopted will give us necessary reasons to keep moving forward. and the questions that are still under discussion will be discussed in the next forum. So we very much hope that we will all have a bright future. Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you. Russian Federation? Is there others?

Okay.

Brazil.

Yes, President, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. We would like to again thank the Bureau, thank the Chair, the Secretariat, and all foreign members on the flexibility that was needed to adopt this resolution today. We are pleased with the results and with the compromises that every delegation had to make, and we are aware of the fact that in order to have a political outcome that is significant today, we all had to have some flexibility, so thank you for that. In paragraph 2, we would like to highlight our position that technology transfer should be made in most favorable terms to those countries most in need, to developing countries, as recognized in the Rio+20 documents and also in the Pact for the Future. We would like to thank everyone yet again.

Thank you.

Thank you, Brazil. I see Haiti. in my list. Haiti, you have the floor, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, delegates. The delegation of Haiti would like to thank the Bureau and the Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests for its sustained efforts have led to the adoption of this resolution. However, on the results of the 21st session of the forum, Haiti also welcomes the spirit of cooperation and dialogue and consensus that has allowed the adoption of an ambitious text aimed to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan on Forests and the achievement of the GFGs. This resolution makes it clear that it's urgent that we have collective action to protect world forest resources and to strengthen their contribution to sustainable development. The Republic of Haiti gives its full support to this resolution on the grounds that forests are not just an essential source of biodiversity, but also one of the strategic instruments to fight against climate change, reduce the risks of disasters, preserve land, food security, and socioeconomic development. For Haiti, which is a small island developing state which is particularly imposed to the effects of climate change, environmental degradation and ecosystem vulnerability, the commitments in this resolution are of particular importance. Haiti welcomes the provisions encouraging the enhancement of technical cooperation, the use of innovative technologies, the development of national capacities, Haiti because forestry is an important mechanism to promote the restoration of land, the protection of forests, and the enhancement of revenue of climate— of forest communities. We welcome the United Nations Decade on Afforestation and Reforestation in accordance with sustainable forest management. Which we think opens up important perspectives to mobilize concrete action and engage international partnerships. We therefore wish to underline the importance of technical partnerships that are financed, particularly in terms of forest financing, and the development of international systems for forestry. These are decisions based on reliable data. They must be. Haiti also remains convinced that sustainable forest management is an investment for future generations, and my data reaffirms its commitment to working with the member states, United Nations agencies, the FAO, the CPF, and all partners concerned to enhance collective action for more resilient forests, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future for all. I thank you.

Thank you, Haiti. ICN Energia, in my list, you have the floor, please.

Thank you, Chair. We welcome the adoption of this resolution by consensus, which reflects the continued commitment of member states to multilateral cooperation and collective action in addressing global forest challenges. Indonesia wishes to express its sincere appreciation once again to the co-facilitators, the Bureau, the Secretariat, and all delegations for their hard work flexibility, and constructive engagement throughout this negotiation process. At the same time, we would like to place on record that stronger language on means of implementation, particularly regarding funding commitments, would have been important to adequately respond to the scale of global forest challenges. We also regret that certain formulations previously agreed in other development fora could not be retained. Indonesia also notes with concern the deletion of references to all types of forests and other forest ecosystems, which are essential in reflecting the diversity of forest ecosystems and their important roles in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable livelihoods. Indonesia further appreciates the inclusion of language recognizing the role of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and people of African descent, particularly in strengthening capacity-building efforts to promote sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches and the restoration of forest ecosystems. To close, we welcome that the resolution continues to reaffirm commitments to sustainable forest management, the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030, 2030, and the Global Forest Goals, which remain important global frameworks to guide collective efforts towards forest conservation, restoration, sustainable use, and the enhancement of forest-based livelihoods. Thank you.

Thank you, Indonesia. For this item, I see no further requests.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the floor. So, dear colleagues, with these interventions, thank you, all of you. The Forum has to conclude its consideration of Agenda Item 3, Agenda Item 4, Agenda Item 5, and Agenda Item 6. Thanks for all your support. Thanks so much. I see that there is a— We will give you later on. Thank you. Now, I now invite the forum to begin its consultation of Agenda Item 7, Dates and the venue of the 22nd session of the forum, for which you have before you a draft decision entitled Proposed Dates and Venue of the 22nd Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, as contained in document E/CN.18/ 2026/L2. Does any delegation wish to make a statement before the adoption of the draft decision L2 about the dates and the venue of the 22nd session of the UNFRR Forum? I see no. So I see no further requests for this item. May I take it that the Forum wishes to adopt the draft decision and recommend it to the Economic and Social Council for adoption?

Yes.

I hear no objection. Draft Decision L.2 is adopted. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the adoption of the draft decision about the venue and date of the next UNFF?

No.

No, I see no requests for the floor. So, dear colleagues, the Forum has thus concluded its consultation of Agenda Item 7. I now invite the Forum to begin its consultation of Agenda Item 8, Provisional Agenda for the 22nd Session of the Forum. For which you have before you document A/CN.18/2026/L3 entitled Draft Provisional Agenda of the 22nd Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. Does any delegation wish to make a statement before the adoption of the document L3? I see no requests for the floor. So, dear colleagues, uh, may I take it that the Forum wishes to approve the provisional agenda for its 22nd session as contained in document A/CN.18/2026?

Yes.

I hereby adopt the provisional agenda for the session of the Economic and Social Council for adoption. I hear no objection, so it is so decided. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the adoption of the provisional agenda for its 20-second session. I see no request for the floor, so the forum has thus concluded its consultation of agenda item 8. I now invite the forum to begin its consultation of agenda item 9, adoption of the report for the Ofto Forum on its 21st session, for which you have before you document A/CN.18/2026/L4. I will now introduce the draft report on behalf of the Vice Chair cum Rapporteur, Mrs. Maria Sokolonko, of the Russian Federation, who was not able to be here today because of some health problems. I wish the fast recovery to her. If she is watching us, my greetings. So on behalf of her, distinguished delegates, I am pleased to introduce to the forum the draft report of its 21st session. The report contains information on the organizational part of the session, and it will be updated and completed, including to reflect the action taken at today's meeting. Section A of the draft report refers to the opening and duration of the session. Section B refers to the agenda and organization of Thank you very much. Section C refers to the attendance at the session. Section D refers to the documentation considered during the session. Regarding the format of the final report of the Forum to the Economic and Social Council, the content will be as follows. Chapter 1 will contain the matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention, namely the omnibus resolution of the 21st session and the dates and the venue of, as well as the provisional agenda for the 22nd session of the Forum. Chapters 2 through Chapter 7 will contain the procedural overview of the proceedings of the forum on its agenda items 3 through 9. Chapter 8 will contain the completed information contained in the draft report on the organization of the session. With this information, I submit the draft report of the forum for its consideration And I request the authorization of the Forum to finalize the report with the support of the Secretariat. Is there any comments for this report? I see Russian Federation. You have the floor, please.

Chair, please ensure that report accurately reflects that during this session was made a proposal to approve and define the term forest degradation, and that one of the opinions suggested for considering this issue was the review of AIF.

Thank you, Chair. Thank you. Thank you, Resha.

Any other for the report? I see no further requests for the floor. So, dear colleagues, may I take it that the forum wishes to approve the draft report for its 21st session and to entrust the rapporteur with its completion with the support of the Secretariat? I hear no objection, so it is so decided. Does any delegation wish to make a statement after the approval of the draft report for the 21st session of the Forum? I see no. So, Dear colleagues, the forum has thus concluded its consideration of the agenda item 9. Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, we have Thus concluded our consideration of all the items on the agenda of the 21st session of the forum. Before inviting Madam Director, I will invite 2 organizations, namely Asian Forest Cooperation Organization, followed by Indigenous Peoples Major Group. Afoko, you have the floor, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Distinguished delegates, APOCO is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization with 70 member countries across Asia dedicated to transforming forest cooperation into concrete actions. We are pleased to share that APOCO recently received institutional accreditation from the GCF. Opening a direct pathway for our member countries to access climate finance for forest restoration and sustainable management. At the same time, through our Friends of Asia and Asian Forest Initiative, we are actively mobilizing private sector investments alongside public funding. We believe that robust public-private partnerships are essential to unlocking forests' full potential in addressing the interconnected climate and biodiversity crises. Regarding cross-convention collaboration, we would like to express our appreciation for the successful operation of the Forest Pavilion at the recent UNFCCC COP. We believe it played an instrumental role in elevating forestry within the global climate agenda. We look forward to continuing this synergy as we approach UNCCD COP17 hosted by our member country Mongolia. We strongly encourage all partners to utilize this occasion to strengthen the vital linkages between forestry, land degradation, and climate action. APOCO stands ready to work closely with these Forum and all relevant partners in advancing the Global Forest Goals. We are fully committed to ensuring that Asia's forests and the communities whose livelihoods depend on them remain a central part of this global effort. We look forward to deepening our collaboration in the years ahead. Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, Afoko. I will invite Indigenous Peoples Major Group. You have the floor, please.

Wonderful, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. It's my first United Nations Forum on Forests. My name is David Flood, Adishnaka Zonze Ma'engen, Matachewan First Nation, Adonjaba, Bingizi Dodum. I come from the Treaty 9 area of Canada. My role here is actually as PIPCI Chair, Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee. Of FSC International. It's an advisory body to the International Forest Certification Scheme. It's something that most nations should probably take a look at as one of the mechanisms that will actually help full implementation of some of the objectives found in the resolution today. And congratulations to everybody on their hard work this week. I just wanted to read a statement into the record here in general terms. If you actually type the word Indigenous into this resolution, you'll see it shows up once into the work of the body of the group here. I've heard it verbalized many times, but I think it's critical that we understand that Indigenous people are the world leaders in maintaining biodiversity on the landscapes of which international and commercial activities are interested in taking place. There's a balance that needs to be achieved. So having said that, Indigenous peoples are the rights holders, knowledge holders, and longstanding custodians of many of the world's forests. Their knowledge systems and stewardship contribute directly to sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. We would encourage member states and the UNFF Secretariat to continue strengthening measures that support full and effective participation, including adequate financial support, accessible modalities, and opportunities for Indigenous people and local communities, women and youth, and other stakeholders to contribute substantively throughout the UNFF process. We are on a big journey together over the next 5 years on halting deforestation and forest degradation. If Indigenous communities cannot live and continue to coexist where they call home, there is your direct indicator that we're not moving in a proper direction. While climate change will be fluid, while climate change will be impactful, the ability to be adaptive and supported by having direct access to govern and set the decision-making processes in motion that they need to see to maintain their forest cover and relationship with land and place, both culturally and spiritually, is critically important. Therefore, meaningful participation strengthens legitimacy and effectiveness of global forest governance. I welcome you all to Please approach your Indigenous nations and communities where you call your home, homelands, countries, and continue to do good work. We'll see you all at the next COP event.

Miigwech. Thank you. Thank you, dear colleagues. As the last speaker of our session, it is my pleasure to invite the Director of the UNFF Forum on Forests, Secretariat, Mrs. Juliette Biao, to make closing remarks. You have the floor, Madam Deputy Secretary-General.

Thank you, Chair. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends, as we bring this session to a close, We do so with a renewed sense of urgency, responsibility, and collective purpose. Throughout this session, Member States have demonstrated that even in a period marked by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, environmental crises, and several financial constraints, multilateral cooperation on forests continues to matter and continues to deliver. The draft omnibus resolution— the omnibus resolution we have just adopted is more than a negotiated test. It is a strategic roadmap for accelerating implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 and achieving the Global Forest Goal by 2030. It reflects both ambition and balance. It recognizes the diversity of national circumstances while reaffirming our shared global responsibility toward forests and the people who depend on them. This session has advanced important priorities: strengthening technical and technological cooperation, Promoting integrated fire management, advancing sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches, enhancing communication and outreach, improving forest-related reporting and data system, strengthening forest financing, and deepen collaboration across the Collaborative Partnership on Forests with regional and sub-regional partners and major groups and other relevant stakeholders. We have also reaffirmed the importance of linking the work of the Forum to broader global efforts to address deforestation, forest degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss, the discussion— biodiversity loss, Desertification and sustainable development. In this regard, discussions around the COP30 roadmap on halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 underscore the growing recognition that forests are indispensable to achieving global sustainability objectives. Excellencies, One of the strongest signals emerging from this session is the growing political momentum around restoration and afforestation. The adoption of the General Assembly of the United Nations Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in line with Sustainable Forest Management 2027-2030 provides a historic historical opportunity to mobilize global action, partnerships, investments, and public awareness at an unprecedented scale. At the same time, the session has made clear that ambition alone is not enough. The increasing mandate entrusted to the Forum and its Secretariat must be matched with adequate stable and predictable support. Several delegations emphasized the importance of enhancing the capacity of the Secretariat to effectively support member states and prepare the 2030 final review of the International Arrangement on Forests. This is not merely an institutional issue. It is a strategic investment in coherence, continuity, and multilateral cooperation on forests at a time when the world can least afford fragmentation. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me also to recognize the extraordinary dedication of all those who made this session possible: the Bureau members, the collaborative partnership on forests, and I would like also to highlight that ITTO, CBD, CITES have been represented by the heads here, and I can see that the Executive Director of ITTO is still here with us. Thank you very much for your longstanding partnership. I would also like to thank Major groups and other stakeholders, and regional and sub-regional partners, interpreters, conference services, and above all, the staff of the Secretariat who worked tirelessly and under extreme challenges— challenging conditions to deliver this session successfully. I also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the extensive services provided by one of our staff, Ms. Barbara Tavura Gentile. Many of you know Barbara.

Thank you.

I will ask you again for a round of applause. Please let me get there. Many of you know Barbara. She is one of the old hands in UNFF since its establishment and even before that. This is the last session she is attending, and prior to the next session, she will be retired. The services and contributions she provided to the work of the UNFF through these years are tremendous. As the Director of the UNFF Secretariat, I would like to convey my deepest appreciation to Barbara for her commitment, dedication, and achievement.

Thank you.

She has provided countless contributions to the work of the Forum, and in this respect, I would like to invite the Forum to have a round of applause to her. Dear colleagues, as we look toward 2030, the question before us is no longer whether forests matter. The science is clear. The economics are clear. The human consequences are clear. The real question is whether we will act with the scale, the speed, and solidarity required by this moment.

Thank you.

Forests remain one of humanity's greatest allies in confronting climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and poverty, but they cannot continue to serve humanity if humanity fails to serve forests. Let us therefore leave this session with renewed determination to transform commitment to implementation, to transform partnership in concrete action, and to transform political declarations into measurable results on the ground. Future generations will not remember how many brackets remain in our negotiations. They will remember whether we succeed in protecting the forests upon which life itself depends. Let us move to— together. Let us move forward together. united in purpose, guided by multilateralism, and inspired by the conviction that investing in forests is investing in humanity's future. I wish you all safe travels and a restful and nice weekend. I thank you for your attention.

Thank you, Madam Director, my dear friend. With this statement by Madam Director, we concluded our UNFF 21st session. Congratulations, all of us. Thank you so much for being with us.

Thank you.

Go ahead, please. I forgot this, sorry. Dear colleagues, now we are moving a new agenda item. Am I chair still?

Indeed.

Yes.

With your permission, dear, dear colleagues, I declare open the 22nd session of the United Nations Forum on Forests and call to order its first meeting. Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Pursuant to Forum decision ORG/2 of 16 February 2001 entitled Future Methods of Work of the United Nations Forum on Forests, Election of Officers and Determination of the Duration of Their Terms of Office, the Forum would hold the first meeting of its subsequent regular session immediately following the closure of the— of a regular session for the sole purpose of electing its officers in accordance with Rule 15 of the Rules of Procedure of the Functional Commission of the Economic and Social Council. Delegations will also recall that the Forum, in its Resolution 12/2 of May 2017, decided to elect its officers for a 2-year term of office starting at its 14th session in order to ensure continuity between the policy and technical sessions of the Forum. Having said, first, I invite the Forum to elect its Chair. As the Forum is aware, it is the turn of the Group of Asia-Pacific States to serve as Chair of the 22nd and 23rd sessions of the Forum, which will be held in 2027 and 2028, respectively. In this regard, the nomination of His Excellency Anbayar Niamdorj, Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations, has been received by the Secretariat. In the absence of any other nominations, may I therefore take it that the Forum wishes to elect by acclamation His Excellency Anbayar Nayamdorj of Mongolia as the 22nd and 23rd 23rd sessions of the United Nations Forum on Forests. I hear no objection. So I declare elected Mr. Ambayar Nyamdorj as the chair of the 22nd and 23rd sessions of the forum. I congratulate the incoming Chair of his election. Your Excellency, if you would like to say hello from your seat, you have the floor, please.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Excellencies, distinguished delegates. Thank you for your support and confidence extended in the newly elected Bureau, including myself, which we will serve the Forum over the next 2 years. It is personally a great honour to me to serve as the Chair of the United Nations Forum on Forests, together with my distinguished colleagues to be elected as Vice-Chairs from Ghana, Russian Federation, Brazil and Norway. I would also like to express my appreciation to the outgoing Bureau members under the able leadership of His Excellency Ambassador Ismail Bilen. Under his stewardship, the Bureau's work was conducted in a highly effective and constructive manner. I also wish to thank the UNFVF Secretariat headed by Ms. Juliette Biao and her team for the excellent support throughout this session. Ladies and gentlemen and colleagues, as we approach 2030, the urgency of achieving the Global Forest Goal continues to grow. This calls for strengthened political will and enhanced practical cooperation in scaling up the action. We need to collectively accelerate the implementation towards meeting the Global Forest Goals and more specifically implemented the work and assignment given to us by today's outcome document we adopted on a consensus basis. And in taking this opportunity, I also would like to thank all the delegations that are presented today adopting this document on a consensus basis. Distinguished colleagues, allow me once again I would like to thank all participants for their active and constructive participation in the 21st session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, and after spending a heavy, busy week in New York, please enjoy your remaining time and then have a safe journey back to home. I thank you very much again.

Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency. Congratulations again for this position. Dear colleagues, we will now proceed to the elections of the vice chairs of the Bureau from among the African states, Eastern European states, Latin American and Caribbean states, and the Western European and other states for which the number of candidates is equal to the numbers of available seats for each group. It is my understanding that the following nominations have been received to serve on the Bureau as Vice Chairs of the 22nd and 23rd sessions of the Forum. From the African States, Mrs. Miriam Abaa-Arhin of Ghana, If she is— if you are here. Yes. Yeah, please raise your hands to see you. Okay. And we have from the Eastern European states Mrs. Maria Sokolonko of the Russian Federation. She is watching us remotely and she sends— she is watching us remotely and she sends her respects to all of us. And from the Latin American and Caribbean states, Mr. Emmanuel Montenegro Batista Lins of Brazil, we see on the— on my left. And from the Western European and other states, Mr. Harald Aade of Norway. Where are you, Harald?

Here.

Yes, a bit far away. In the absence of any other nominations, may I take it that the Forum wishes to elect by acclamation Mrs. Miriam Abba-Arhien of Ghana, Mrs. Maria Sokolonko of the Russian Federation, Emmanuel Montenegro, Batista Lins of Brazil, and Mr. Harald Erde of Norway as vice chairs of 22nd and 23rd sessions of the Forum. I hear no objection. So I declare elected Mrs. Mariam Aba Akin of Ghana, Mrs. Maria Sokolanko of the Russian Federation, Mr. Emmanuel Montenegro Batista Iblins of Brazil and Mr. Harald Alde of Norway as vice chairs of the 22nd and 23rd sessions of the United Nations Forum on Forests. I see Australia, followed by Ukraine, is going to speak. Australia, you have the floor, please.

Thank you, Chair.

Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom do not support Russia serving on the Bureau of the UN Forum on Forests. Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable full-scale invasion of Ukraine makes it unfit to serve in leadership positions on multilateral bodies. Russia's assaults have caused lasting damage to Ukraine's forests and will continue to pose a direct hazard long into the future. Russia holding such a position damages the credibility of this forum. We are also deeply concerned by reports of attacks on World Central Kitchen and UNOCHA convoys on 14 May. Humanitarian personnel who dedicate themselves to protecting and assisting the most vulnerable must be respected and protected. Attacks that threaten the safety and security of humanitarian personnel must stop. International humanitarian law must be upheld by all parties to the conflict in all circumstances. In September 2025, over 100 nations launched a Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, committing to protect aid workers in conflict zones. We will continue working together to ensure that those who work to save the lives of others do not have to sacrifice their own.

Thank you.

Thank you for your observation, and I see Ukraine on my list.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Ukraine requests that the record of today's proceedings reflects our objection to the uncontested election of the Russian Federation to the Bureau of the United Nations Forum on Forests as Vice Chair for its 22nd and 23rd Thank you. Ukraine is deeply concerned that this body has allowed the Russian Federation to continue to hold a leadership position within the UN Forum on Forests. The Russian Federation is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine that is destroying not only Ukrainian cities and villages, but also forests, ecosystems, and biodiversity. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's forests have been damaged to varying degrees. Up to 1 million hectares of forests are located in the temporarily occupied territories or in areas affected by hostilities. Around 450,000 hectares are contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. These are burned forests, poisoned soil, destroyed habitats, dead wildlife, and long-term environmental damage that will affect Ukraine, Europe, and the world for generations. A state responsible for such destruction cannot credibly guide the work of a United Nations body devoted to forests and sustainable forest management. For this reason, Mr. Chair, Ukraine disassociates itself from the decision on the re-election of the Russian Federation to the Bureau of the United Nations Forum on Forests. I thank you, Mr.

Chair. Thank you. Thank you, Ukraine. Thank you so much. Dear colleagues, I see no further requests from the floor. I thank Australia and Ukraine. It seems there being no other business except my closing speech before leaving this podium. This is my term at the final stage. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, as we come to the end of this important morning and as my service in the Bureau of the United Nations Forum on Forests comes to the end, allow me to say a few final words. Today we have concluded the 21st session of the Forum. We have also opened the 22nd session of the Forum for the sole purpose of electing the Bureau for the 22nd and 23rd sessions. I wish the incoming Chair, Your Excellency, and the new Bureau every success. I am confident that with your leadership the Forum will continue its work with dedication, peace demands strong spirit of cooperation. Distinguished colleagues, as my service in the UNFF Bureau comes to the end, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my fellow Bureau members of UNFF 20 and 21. Mr. Javad Momeni of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Javad, thank you so much for everything, every effort. My dear friends. And Mr. Abderrahim Houmy of Morocco. Thank you, Director-General, and we are saying farewell. And Mr. Andrés Napuripita of Peru. Andrés, where are you?

The other corner.

Yeah, thank you, Andrés. Thank you so much. And Maria will stay here. It has been an honor for me to work with all of you. I also express my deep appreciation to Madame Director Juliette Biao, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests, and through her to the entire UNFF Secretariat, especially to you, to everyone. They did a wonderful job. Thank you so much. I also would like to thank the Secretary of the Forum, In my left, Mr. Gal Bayanover, and to Ziad Mahmassani, the former Secretary. I also thank the interpreters, conference officers, documentation officers, technical teams, all the United Nations staff who supported our meetings, and of course to the photographers, which is very important. Thank you so much. Without your work, our deliberation would not have been possible. Dear colleagues, at the opening of the session, I recalled the words of the Turkish poet Aşık Veysel, says, my faithful beloved is the black soil. I did so because soil, forest, and nature remind us patience, responsibility, and continuity. As we close this chapter, allow me to recall another line, this time from the great 16th century Ottoman poet Baki. He says in Turkish, "Avası bu aleme davut gibi sal baki kalan bu alemde bir hoşsa daymiş." It means in English, "Let your voice resound in this world like like David's." What remains? beneath this dome is but a pleasant echo. During my service in the UNFF Bureau as Vice-Chair, Rapporteur, and Chair, I have tried to do my best. I have tried to serve this forum, our forests, and our common work with sincerity, fairness, and dedication. Of course, what remains from our work is not only documents, resolutions, or formal decisions. What also remains is the spirit in which we work together— respect, friendship, cooperation, and goodwill— under this stamp. I am deeply grateful to all member states. I am grateful to Republic of Türkiye with its support. I am grateful to my colleagues, to to the Secretariat, to the whole UNF family, and to all those who have supported me during these years. And finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my family, to my wife, if she is watching us, to my wife Zuleyha, for their patience, understanding, and support. I wish all of you a safe journey home. good health, continued success in your important work. Thank you so much, dear colleagues. Thanks so much. Yeah, thank you. God, the meeting is adjourned. So for the last time—