23 June 2014, IISD news - An ideal forests scenario for the Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs) would include two forest-specific targets, according to Eduardo  Rojas-Briales, chair of the 14-member Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)  and Assistant Deputy Director-General for Forestry, at the Food and Agriculture  Organization of the UN (FAO), in an interview during World Forest Week. Forests  are specifically referenced under Proposed Goal 15 in the 'Zero Draft' on the  SDGs, which was released by the Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on the  SDGs.

Rojas-Briales said a two-target forest option "allows a clearer focus than  bundling all into one" and could include targets on sustainable forest  management (SFM), with an emphasis on the socio-economic benefits for  forest-dependent communities and a second target on stopping and reverting  deforestation. Rojas-Briales cautioned against viewing forests only through the  lenses of biodiversity preservation, climate change or timber production,  underscoring the importance of balancing forest conversion and timber extraction  with forest ecosystem services.

In a separate press release, FOREST EUROPE suggests ensuring visibility of  the services provided by forests and the importance of SFM through the  establishment of adequate indicators for monitoring proposed goals and targets.  FAO and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) organized an Expert  Workshop on forests and SDGs on 16 June in Geneva, Switzerland, that discussed a  proposed set of indicators.

World Forest Week is taking place in parallel to the 22nd meeting of the  Committee on Forestry (COFO 22) in Rome, Italy, from 23-27 June. The OWG  discussed the Zero Draft during OWG 12, which took place from 16-20 June in New  York, US.

Source: http://forests-l.iisd.org/news/cpf-chair-supports-two-forest-targets-in-sdgs/