A call for global accountability on the International Day of Forests

This year, on the occasion of the International Day of Forests, the NGO Forestcom  joined over 130 organizations from 39 countries in signing a statement, urging the need for global responsibility and accountability in addressing the issue of forest degradation and deforestation.

Signatories, including BirdLife International, Greenpeace, Amnesty International Climate Action Network Canada, call on those making international changes to prioritize accountability as the foundation for meeting global commitments.

The official theme for the International Day of Forests in 2024 is "Forests and Innovations: New Solutions for a Better World." According to the United Nations, combating deforestation today requires the implementation of new technologies, which can help prevent severe climate consequences and enhance food security.

However, together with other international organizations, we affirm that effective and beneficial innovations are impossible without accountability: "innovations in the vacuum of accountability... not only prone to failure but also dangerous" (quote from the statement). We join the call addressed to world governments and company leaders, urging them to establish a shared and fair system of responsibility to eliminate deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.

Appealing to a "shared, just sense of responsibility and dedication to true global progress," the statement emphasizes the need for accountability mechanisms that promote timely and effective actions, without which recent progress will add to the legacy of unfulfilled commitments and half-measures.

Today, the international community has the opportunity to chart a different course by building accountability mechanisms that translate promises into practice.

A call for global accountability on the International Day of Forests

NRDC publication on the statement