MEDIA ADVISORY

New UN report urges accelerated forest action before 2030 

Forests, critical for livelihoods, biodiversity, resilience and climate stability, are under threat

Press briefing live on UN Web TV

At the start of this year’s UN Forum on Forests, the United Nations will launch the Global Forest Goals Report 2026, the latest global assessment of progress towards the six Global Forest Goals and 26 targets of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030.

With less than five years remaining to 2030, the report provides current evidence on progress, gaps and the urgent need to scale up action to halt deforestation, restore degraded lands and advance sustainable forest management. It underscores the critical role of forests in supporting climate stability, biodiversity, the livelihoods of over a billion people and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Drawing on voluntary national reports and the latest forest-related global data, the report also identifies key gaps in finance, governance and data and sets out policy recommendations to accelerate action in the final years leading to 2030.

WHAT:

Press briefing to launch the Global Forest Goals Report 2026

WHO:

• Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Ms. Juliette Biao, Director, United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

WHEN: Monday, 11 May 2026,12:45 pm EDT

WHERE: UN Press Briefing Room at the UN Headquarters in New York, S-237

Live on http://webtv.un.org

The report will be available on 11 May 2026, 12:45 pm EDT at https://forests.desa.un.org/documents/global-forest-goals-report-2026 once the embargo has been lifted.

Media contacts:

• Sharon Birch | UN Department of Global Communications |E: [email protected]
• Helen Rosengren | UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs|E: [email protected]
• Daniela Sinobad| UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs|E: [email protected]