02 October 2015

The 38th Session of the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC) and the 73rd Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI).

Will held in Engelberg/ Switzerland, 2-6 November 2015.<br>

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), have the honour to extend an invitation to attend Silva2015, the Joint Session of the 38th Session of the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC) and the 73rd Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI) which will be held, at the invitation of the Government of Switzerland, in Engelberg, from 2 to 6 November 2015. <br>
The theme selected for Silva2015 is “The Value of Forests” and will feature: <br>
- Discussion on global and regional policy developments and their impact on the regional forestry agenda; <br>
- Presentation of the results of the global and regional assessments of forest resources; <br>
- An update on recent markets developments, as well as forecasts for 2016 on the basis of the Forest Products Annual Market Review; <br>
- A roundtable on challenges and opportunities for markets and investments in forest ecosystem services; <br>
- Panel discussions on the role of ecosystem services in reduction of natural hazards, biodiversity maintenance and climate change; <br>
- Information on general FAO policies and activities on sustainable forest management of relevance to the meeting; <br>
- Follow-up on the progress and challenges in the Rovaniemi Action Plan implementation. <br>
The Joint Session will be conducted in English, French, Russian and Spanish. <br>
This event will be held in conjunction with the third European Forest Week (EFW). The EFW which was launched in 2008 by a group of 15 partners, will provide a unique opportunity for participants to increase the visibility of the forest sector and make an impact on pan-European and global discussions related to forests. Interested stakeholders can contribute to the EFW by holding a side event, a parallel meeting and/or participate in a poster exhibition during Silva2015, as well as by organizing national and local celebrations. <br>
Side events and parallel meetings at Silva2015 will allow partners to address forest related matters, to exchange experiences and engage with other stakeholders. <br>
The on-line registration form for the meeting is available at: http://www.unece.org/forests/silva2015-engelberg. <br>
For any other information on the Joint Session, please contact:<br>

• The EFC Secretary Mr. Ekrem Yazici (ekrem.yazici@fao.org) or • The COFFI Secretary Mr. Roman Michalak (roman.michalak@unece.org): <br><br>

Or at Head Quarter:<br>
 UNECE-FAO /  Forestry and Timber Section / Palais des Nations  / CH–1211 Geneva 10 / Switzerland<br>

Tel. +41 22 9171701 / Fax: +41 22 9170041  / Email: ECE-FAOforests@unece.org