Mongolia will chair the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) for the first time in its history. The decision was adopted during the 21st session of the Forum, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The session was attended by B. Oyuunsanaa, Head of Mongolia’s Forest Agency, and N. Ankhbayar, Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations.
During her remarks, B. Oyuunsanaa noted that Mongolia will host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17) in 2026. She also presented the results of the national “Billion Trees” initiative and outlined future goals in forest restoration and land degradation prevention.
According to N. Ankhbayar, Mongolia’s election as Chair of the 22nd and 23rd sessions of the UN Forum on Forests marks a significant milestone, as it will be the first time the country leads the international platform.
Officials in Ulaanbaatar emphasized that the chairmanship will provide Mongolia with broader opportunities to promote its initiatives in afforestation, combating desertification and land degradation, while expanding cooperation on sustainable forest management, climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
During its chairmanship, Mongolia intends to place special focus on the interconnected challenges of land degradation, rangeland conditions, desertification and climate change, as well as on strengthening international cooperation in these areas.
The UN Forum on Forests is one of the leading international mechanisms for discussing the protection, restoration and sustainable use of forests, as well as policies, financing and international cooperation in the forestry sector.
