Permanent Secretary Leads Thai Delegation at UN Forest Forum, Discusses Sustainable Forest Management with 193 Nations
Thailand led discussions at the UN Forest Forum in New York, proposing three global targets for sustainable forest management involving all 193 member nations through May 15.
Dr. Raveewan Phuridetcha, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, led the Thai delegation at the 21st United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21), engaging 193 member countries in discussions to establish three key targets for sustainable forest management.
Reported on May 12, the UNFF21 meeting took place at United Nations headquarters in New York, with Dr. Raveewan Phuridetcha heading Thailand's delegation from May 11-15, 2025, alongside Nikon Sirrojananont, Director-General of the Royal Forest Department, and other forestry officials.
The meeting aimed to enable UNFF member countries to collectively formulate policies and guidelines for sustainable forest management, particularly to accelerate implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 through three Global Forest Goals (GFGs): halting forest loss and restoring ecosystems (GFG 1), increasing the proportion of sustainably managed forests (GFG 3), and improving forest governance and technology to support forest management (GFG 5). These efforts target the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other environmental agreements through global partnership collaboration.
Dr. Raveewan expressed Thailand's commitment to implementing the UN Strategic Plan for Forests, emphasizing the country's focus on sustainable forest management through cooperation mechanisms between government and local communities. Thailand promotes community roles through the Forest Act of 1941 and amendments, as well as the Community Forests Act of 2019. Currently, there are nearly 12,000 community forests covering approximately 6.2 million rai, which help conserve biodiversity, increase carbon sequestration, and improve quality of life based on bio-based economy principles.
"Furthermore, Thailand applies technology and innovation in wildfire prevention, forest resource protection, and promotes legal timber and timber product trade through a reliable traceability system to support continued achievement of global sustainable development goals," the Permanent Secretary stated.
