The 84th UNECE COFFI session and related meetings in Geneva 3rd to 6th November 2026

Monday, November 09 , 2026 73

The Vice President of the Union of European Foresters (UEF) Tiina Eklund joined the 84^th session of the Committee on Forest and Forest Industry (COFFI) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). A day before the COFFI session was held the 47^th session of the UNECE Working Party on Forest Statistics, Economics and Management (WPFSEM). Both sessions took place in the United Nations Office the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The 47^th WPFSEM meeting concentrated to the question “What data and information on forest values is needed to support policy, investment and forest management decisions over the coming decade? “ The session aimed to initiate a discussion on whether there are unmet needs for better statistics on the values of forest goods and services, to complement existing statistics and strengthen the evidence base for sustainable forest management and forest policy. And whether needed data might be collected through an agreed common format.

Participants discussed the subject and were working in groups. The Draft Decision of the Working party was done for the 84^th COFFI session.

(Photo: Group Working in WPFSEM session)

The 84^th COFFI session started with high level session “Roots for the Future - UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in the UNECE region”. The UN General Assembly had a global mandate with resolution A/RES/79/283 of 16th April 2025, proclaiming the United Nations Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in line with Sustainable Forest Management (2027–2036). This Decade builds on the Bonn Challenge, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). According to the session, “the trees established today will mature under a climate materially different from the one in which they were planted”, which places a particular responsibility on present choices to establish and reestablish forests that are at once productive, resilient and biodiverse, able to withstand drought, fire and pest outbreaks, accommodate shifting species ranges and sustainably deliver wood, ecosystem services and carbon storage.

The second COFFI session was “Navigating the Forest-based Bioeconomy: UNECE COFFI Market Discussion 2026”, where was heard experts’ presentations i.e. from AFRY consulting about how the worldwide forest industry product markets have been developing. Also was heard i.e. of the Country and Organization-Led Initiative on Sustainable Forest-based Bioeconomy Approaches (COLI), an international process to advance a circular, forest-based bioeconomy. The Government of Austria has initiated COLI and hosted regular exchange meetings with “the Friends of COLI” i.e. FAO and IUFRO.

The European Forest Alliance (EFA) session brought together i.e. UNECE, the Forest Europe and FAO to discuss the strengthening of the Alliance, exploring new avenues for cooperation, and aligning strategic priorities to ensure collaboration across the region. The Committee saw that cooperation would make it possible to reduce duplication and perhaps produce more through cooperation.

Some of the Drafts of the COFFI session raised active discussion and were partly changed during the meeting. The Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and jointly supported approaches and strategies for delivering sustainable and circular forest-based bioeconomies were highlighted. The Committee also decided that pending the consultations on the right sizing and right servicing process the adoption of the COFFI Strategic Plan will be postponed to the next session, and an online session will be organized to review a draft prepared by the secretariat on the basis of the new strategic results framework. Annual reporting on forest damage in ECE region was adopted, as an ongoing development process.

Side event was arranged in the International Federation of the Red Cross IFRC Headquarter, where the IFRC Park is being transformed into a living landscape that brings together biodiversity, climate resilience and community well-being.

- One significant part of the session was connecting the people. Although communication is easy these days thanks to technological applications, there is nothing better than meeting people face to face, says UEF Vice President Tiina Eklund.

UNECE in Brief:

One of the main bodies of the United Nations is the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). ECOSOC has five regional commissions: UN for Africa (ECA), Europe (ECE), Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC), Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Western Asia (ESCWA). According to the Terms of Reference (E/ECE/778/Rev.5) of the UNECE it i.e. aims to “Initiate and participate in measures for facilitating concerted action for the economic development and integration of Europe, for raising the level of European economic activity, and for maintaining and strengthening the economic relations of the European countries both among themselves and with other countries of the world.”