12-06-2017  -  fao.org
Around 70 experts from over 25 countries, international organizations, processes, academia and non-governmental organizations are meeting at the FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) 2020 Expert Consultation from 12-16.6.2017 in Joensuu, Finland.
FRA is a continuously evolving process which seeks to meet the changing information needs and produce relevant information for forest related decision making by using the latest available data, methods and technologies.
Recent significant advances in the international forest policy arena, such as the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF), set new demands for the FRA process, both in terms of scope and reporting periods. For example, FRA feeds into the SDG process by supplying yearly data on two forestry targets under Goal 15 (Indicators 15.1.1 and 15.2.1).
The FRA Expert Consultations have been organized for 30 years at regular intervals to receive technical guidance and support on the scope and standards of the global assessment to ensure consistent and accurate reporting across countries, organizations and processes. This time, the Expert Consultation takes place in Joensuu where the international experts meet to provide recommendations on the next global assessment, FRA 2020.
The event is financed by the European Commission, FAO, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and is organized in collaboration with the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE).