9 April 2021 - The XV World Forestry Congress (WFC) will take place from 2 to 6 May 2022 at the Coex Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul, host Republic of Korea announced. The XV WFC was originally scheduled for May 2021 but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new dates provide an opportunity to connect to the outcomes of major global events scheduled in 2021 – including the Rio Conventions’ Conferences of the Parties, the IUCN World Conservation Congress and the UN Food Systems Summit – and to build on their momentum.
“The international community’s concerted efforts and actions to achieve a carbon neutral world and combat the climate crisis are required now more than ever, and the year 2022 will be critical,” said the Secretary-General of the XV WFC, Eunsik Park. “The Republic of Korea will continue to help advance international cooperation in the forest sector. Organizing and hosting a successful World Forestry Congress next year is an important part of this effort.”
The theme of the Congress is Building a green, healthy and resilient future with forests, which will emphasize the essential role of forests in achieving the goals on the global sustainable development agenda, as well as highlighting the role forests will play in the world’s recovery from COVID-19. The XV WFC will identify key measures and recommendations for enhancing these roles.
“One of the aims of the WFC is to offer an innovative forum for forest stakeholders to leverage partnerships and promote forests as a central pillar in global and national recovery efforts,” said Peter Csoka, the Associate Secretary-General of the XV WFC.
The World Forestry Congress is usually held every six years and is organized by a host country with the technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It attracts thousands of global stakeholders to meet and exchange views and experiences, and to examine the issues currently concerning all aspects of forestry. The outcome is usually presented as a list of recommendations applicable both regionally and worldwide. The World Forestry Congress provides an opportunity for the sector to produce an overview of the state of forests and forestry in order to discern trends, reassess policies and create awareness of important forestry issues among decision-makers and the general public.
The WFC Secretariat will re-open calls for contributions in the form of new abstracts for papers, posters and videos related to the theme and its sub-themes, as well as new proposals for side events. The platforms will open at the end of April 2021. More information is available on the Congress website.