Minister Varawut’s Statement on the 5th APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry

Issued by the 5th APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry

Chiang Mai, Thailand, 27 August 2022

Recognizing the impact of the global energy situation, climate change, loss of biological diversity and deforestation on APEC economies, Thailand’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Varawut Silpa-archa, released a statement to support APEC’s effort in tackling environmental challenges, including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters. 

Read the chair’s statement.

Through his statement, Minister Varawut highlighted commitments from member economies to advance environmentally sustainable and resilient growth and the sustainable management of forest resources to combat illegal logging and associated trade, to exchange best practices, and to promote economic policies and capacity building programs.

The statement noted the achievement of the APEC 2020 Forest Cover Goal laid out in the 2007 Sydney Declaration, as the region’s forest cover increased by 27.9 million hectares between 2007 and 2020, exceeding the initial goal of 20 million hectares. 

Ministers agreed to intensify their efforts to maintain existing forest cover, halt and reverse forest loss, restore and sustainably manage forests, as well as increase forest and green areas in urban and sub-urban areas.

Furthermore, the ministers committed to strengthen cooperation with international organizations and other relevant stakeholders in combatting illegal logging, promoting legal timber trade and enhancing the use of wood and wood products derived from sustainable forest management.

Also read: APEC to Strengthen Cooperation in Sustainable Forest Management

For further details, please contact:

Masyitha Baziad +65 9751 2146 at mb@apec.org
Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at mc@apec.org