Australia to host international forestry forum

Australia will host the 30th session of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC).

The theme for the 2-6 October event in Sydney is Sustainable forests for a sustainable future.

The APFC is the Asia-Pacific region’s key decision-making forum for forestry issues.

The biennial event will bring together around 200 delegates and observers from more than 30 forested Asia-Pacific nations to discuss and agree on the FAO work priorities for the region.

The discussions, which will be chaired by Australia, will also provide a regional voice to the FAO Committee on Forestry, which ultimately guides the FAO’s multi-million-dollar forestry program.

The APFC will provide an opportunity to showcase Australia’s world class, unique, and diverse forestry industry.

Delegates and observers will take part in three days of formal sessions and a full-day field trip.

Industry groups, research institutes and visiting nations will also host side-events over the course of the week, building links between Australian industry and key international counterparts.

It’s the first time in 23 years that Australia has hosted the APFC. We previously hosted the 18th session in Caloundra, Queensland in 2000, and the 9th session in Canberra, ACT, in 1973.

Australia will also host the next meeting of the Montreal Process Working Group immediately following the APFC event on 6-7 October. The group’s 12 nations account for 90% of the world’s temperate and boreal forests, and together lead work accounting for and assessing forest trends and conditions.

For more information on APFC 30, visit the FAO website.

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