History

History of the United Nations Forum on Forests

The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was created in 2000 by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as part of the international community’s ongoing effort to strengthen political commitment and coordinated action on forests. Its establishment was the culmination of nearly a decade of intergovernmental dialogue that began at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where forests were recognised as central to sustainable development.

Through successive processes—including the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF, 1995–1997) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF, 1997–2000)—governments, organisations, and stakeholders developed a broad set of proposals for action and debated options for a permanent institutional framework. These negotiations built momentum for the creation of the International Arrangement on Forests, under which the UNFF was established as a functional commission of ECOSOC.

The timeline below highlights the key milestones leading to the Forum’s creation and illustrates how international cooperation on forests evolved into today’s global policy platform dedicated to advancing sustainable forest management and the Global Forest Goals.

Timeline towards the creation of the UNFF

1992 – Earth Summit (Rio Conference)

• Event: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
• Outcome:
  • Adoption of the Forest Principles and Agenda 21, Chapter 11 (Combating Deforestation).
  • Establishment of Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) – later replaced by the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
• Significance: First global political consensus on forests, initiating international dialogue and placing forests firmly within the sustainable development agenda.

1995–1997 – Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF)

• Event: Establishment of an open-ended ad hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) under the Commission on Sustainable Development, with ECOSOC approval.
• Outcome: Developed a broad set of proposals for action on forest policy across five major programme areas.
• Institutional Support: Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests (ITFF) was created to support the IPF process – later succeeded by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
• Significance: Advanced technical discussions and built initial consensus on key forest issues through multi-stakeholder engagement. The IPF proposals for action became the cornerstone for future international forest policy.
• Source documents:
  • Establishment of an open-ended ad hoc intergovernmental panel on forests
• IPF Reports
  • Report of the open-ended Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its first session (E/1995/72)
  • Report of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its 2nd Session, Geneva, 11-22 March 1996 (E/CN.17/1996/24)
  • Report of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its third session (E/CN.17/IPF/1997/2)
  • Report of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its fourth session (E/CN.17/1997/12)

1997–2000 – Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF)

• Event: Successor to IPF; continued the intergovernmental dialogue on forest policy under CSD.
• Outcome: Consolidated IPF’s work, produced additional proposals for action, and began exploring options for new international arrangements and mechanisms.
• Significance: Finalised a comprehensive set of proposals for action and initiated negotiations on international arrangements and mechanisms to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
• Source documents:
  • Establishment of an ad hoc open-ended Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (E/1997/L.49)
  • Report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests on its first session (E/CN.17/IFF/1997/4)
  • Report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests on its second session (E/CN.17/IFF/1998/14)
  • Report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests on its third session (E/CN.17/IFF/1999/25)
  • Report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests on its fourth session (E /CN.17/2000/14)