Seoul Declaration

2022 MAY 21

Preliminary   > Environment and Ecology   >   Biodiversity   >   International conventions

Why in news?

  • Recently, the Seoul Declaration was adopted at the XV World Forestry Congress, held in Seoul, South Korea.

About Seoul Forest Declaration:

  • The Declaration was signed by 141 participant countries.
  • Seoul Forest Declaration highlights that the investment in landscape and forest restoration must be tripled across the globe by the year 2030 to meet the internationally agreed-upon targets.

Highlights of the Declaration:

  • Urges for Shared Responsibility
    • The declaration urges that responsibility for forests should be shared and integrated across institutions, sectors and stakeholders.
    • It was underlined that forests transcend political, social and environmental boundaries and is vital for biodiversity and the carbon, water and energy cycles at a planetary scale.
  • Investment in Forest:
    • Investment in forest and landscape restoration globally needs to triple by 2030 to meet internationally agreed commitments and targets on restoring degraded land.
  • Circular Bioeconomy and Climate Neutrality:
    • One of the key takeaways from Congress was the importance of moving towards a circular bioeconomy and climate neutrality.
    • The Declaration called for innovative green financing mechanisms to upscale investment in forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and highlighted the potential of sustainably produced wood as a renewable, recyclable and versatile material.
  • Steps to Prevent Future Pandemics:
    • Healthy, productive forests must also be maintained to reduce the risk of future pandemics and to provide other essential benefits for human physical and mental health.
  • Need for Innovative Technologies and Mechanisms:
    • The Declaration urged the continued development and use of emerging innovative technologies and mechanisms to enable evidence-based forest and landscape decision-making.

About World Forestry Congress:

  • It is held every six years.
  • This year's event, hosted by the Republic of Korea and co-organized with FAO, was the second congress held in Asia.
  • Indonesia hosted the first Congress in Asia in 1978.
  • The Congress has been providing a forum for inclusive discussion on the key challenges and way forward for the forestry sector.
  • Theme for 2022: Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient.

Highlights of the XV World Forestry Congress:

  • Assuring the Future of Forests with Integrated Risk Management (AFFIRM) Mechanism:
    • AFFIRM aims to develop integrated risk management plans to use as examples for other countries to follow, creating a methodology that will enable countries to better conduct disturbance risk assessments and provide an improved understanding of forest hazards and forest-related risks.
  • Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Initiative
  • The Platform for REDD+ Capacity Building:
    • REDD+ is a framework created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) to guide activities in the forest sector that reduces emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as the sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Seoul Declaration, recently seen in news, is associated with:

(a) Forest Conservation

(b) Refugee protection

(c) Cyber security

(d) Mass mobility

Answer