25 March 2013: A briefing for UN Member States on preparations for the tenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF10) was held at UN Headquarters in New York. The briefing covered logistical and program information for delegations to the meeting, which will be held 8-19 April 2013, in Istanbul, Turkey. Representatives from the UNFF Secretariat, the Government of Turkey, and the UN Protocol Service were present to clarify meeting details and to answer questions.
Jan McAlpine, UNFF Director, presented the current draft of the session's Provisional Organization of Work. The meeting will include two ministerial working groups, and will thus develop two outcome resolutions. The theme of the tenth session is "Forests and Economic Development," and focus will be placed on considering forest issues for the post-2015 development agenda. A multi-stakeholder dialogue is scheduled to take place, and UNFF11 will convene at the conclusion of UNFF10 to elect new Bureau Members.
A representative of the Turkish Government gave details about session side events and hotel information for the delegates. Additional information was given on speaking and seating arrangements, conference room reservations, agenda issues, and the online accreditation process. Most details can be found in the Secretariat's information note and other documents available online.