摘譯自2011年2月2日ENS美國紐約報導，張桂芳編譯，蔡麗伶審校
2011年是聯合國訂定的「國際森林年」，主題為「我們的森林」。諾貝爾和平獎得主（Wangari Maathai）、全球各地的領導人及相關專家，皆出席2月2日在聯合國紐約總部舉行的啓動儀式。
聯合國表示，儘管全球的森林砍伐率仍「高得驚人」，但在其最新出版、針對全球森林狀態所提出的雙年度報告中卻顯示，森林砍伐和退化率出現放緩態勢。由於俄羅斯擁有廣大的森林資源，因此歐洲的森林覆蓋率居全球之冠。而過去十年來，單就森林消失與退化速度而言，拉美與加勒比地區最爲嚴重。
聯合國還提到，目前至少有16億人仰賴森林爲生並提供基本需求。同時6千多萬人，其中許多為土著同胞們以森林為家。
聯合國大會指定2011年為國際森林年，當天秘書長潘基文督促，把今年作為提高所有各類森林管理、保育和永續發展意識的管道。
據聯合國糧農組織（FAO）的數據顯示，森林覆蓋率佔地球陸地總面積約31%，將近4億公頃。該組織當天也順勢公佈其「世界森林狀況報告」(State of the World's Forests）。
當天典禮主持人，聯合國大會主席約瑟夫戴斯（Joseph Deiss）指出，國際森林年承襲2010國際生物多樣性年的理念，最終通過一項新的策略計劃。其中包括至2020止，藉由如森林和林業永續管理的政策，達到所有天然棲地消失退化速率顯著停緩的目標，以維護生物多樣性。
此外，聯合國在一份聲明中也提到，為因應許多源自於環境和社會各界的考量與關注，林產工業配合改善其資源利用的可持續性，在生產過程中相繼採用更多的廢棄材料，以提高能源效率，減少排放。
去年，37%的林業生產總值來自廢紙、廢木材和非木材纖維。而這個數字根據聯合國的說法，至2030年很可能會增長到高達45%。其中，很大部分的成長將來自於中國和印度。
FAO林業部總幹事愛德華羅哈斯（Eduardo Rojas）表示：「適逢國際森林年，有必要大大強調人與森林之間的關聯性，還有當森林由當地人民以永續和創新方式管理之下，種種因素累積的好處。」
另外，當天在紐約舉行的聯合國啓動儀式中，世界自然保育聯盟（IUCN）的環境與發展部主任瑪格尼絲(Stewart Maginnis)也發言表示：「森林管理由地區來主導，對地區而言不僅為高利潤的公共投資，也是輔助當地發展的優良選擇。我們所談論的乃是改變世界經濟，具有絕對革命性的做法—更重要的是讓未來變得更好。」International Year of Forests Dawns With Hope for ConservationNEW YORK, New York, February 2, 2011 (ENS)
Forests for People is the theme of the UN's International Year of Forests 2011 - launched at a ceremony today at UN Headquarters in New York attended by world leaders, Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai and forest experts.
While the worldwide rate of deforestation remains "alarmingly high," the UN says in its latest biennial report on the state of the world's forests, the rate of forest loss is slowing. Europe has more forests than any other region, due to the vast forests of Russia, while Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest net forest loss over the last decade.
At least 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their daily livelihoods and subsistence needs, and the world's forests are home to more than 60 million people, many of them members of indigenous communities, the UN says.
The UN General Assembly designated 2011 as the International Year of Forests, and today Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this year will be used as a pathway to raise awareness about the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
Forests cover about 31 percent of the planet's total land area, amounting to just under four billion hectares, according to data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which today released its "State of the World's Forests" report.
Today's ceremony, led by General Assembly President Joseph Deiss, who pointed out that the International Year of Forests follows the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, which concluded with the adoption of a new strategic plan containing targets on significantly reducing, by 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, and sustainably managing forestry to ensure biodiversity conservation.
The forest products industry is responding to numerous environmental and social concerns by improving sustainability of resource use, using more waste materials to make products, increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions, the UN said in a statement.
Last year, 37 percent of total forest production came from recovered paper, wood waste and non-wood fibers, a figure the UN says is likely to grow to up to 45 percent by 2030, with much of that growth from China and India.
"What we need during the International Year of Forests is to emphasize the connection between people and forests, and the benefits that can accrue when forests are managed by local people in sustainable and innovative ways," said FAO Forestry Director Eduardo Rojas.
"Locally-controlled forest management is a highly profitable public investment and development assistance option," says Stewart Maginnis, IUCN's Director of Environment and Development, who spoke at the UN ceremony today in New York. "We are talking about an absolutely revolutionary way of changing the world economy - and changing it for the better."
全文及圖片詳見：ENS報導
