紐約地區民眾受聯合國大會上周新通過的全球森林保護協定所號召，發動保衛他們自己森林資源的行動。
在全球以如何保護全世界森林為初始議題討論了15年之後，聯合國大會終於採用一個新的國際森林協定，而這個協定是以人為中心的設計導向。協定中除了確認森林在保存生物多樣性及提供其他環境服務上的角色，也對依賴森林賺錢及生存的人們及社區著墨很深。
聯合國森林事務論壇（UN Forum on Forests Secretariat）主任派托沙瑞（Pekka Patosaari）表示：「這是模式上的改變。」這是指透過永續森林經營的概念，「決策者可以對他們森林資源的價值作更好的判斷，以此確保這種重要天然資源得以獲得長期的健康與永續性。」
派托沙瑞在聯合國大會12月17日所舉辦的一個特別活動中演說時表示：「幾乎所有最近的全球森林復育成功案例都或多或少是立基在確立地區民眾的需求與行動、民眾在天然資源的所有權與取用權、以及肯定原住民族及社群的古老知識。」
派托沙瑞指出：「現在森林的逐漸消失不僅是因為缺乏如何管理及保存它們的知識，也是由於我們還未有能力成立國家及國際級的制度或是支援機制，這些制度或機制將可直接維護民眾對天然資源的所有權，以及支持民眾為他們及社會上其他人的利益而使用世襲的森林資產。」
這個名為「所有型態森林的無法律約束力工具」（Non-Legally Binding Instrument）的協定，在今年4月就在聯合國森林論壇（UN Forum on Forests）進行協商，在被送到聯合國大會後由聯合國經濟與社會委員會決議通過。
The motivation of local people to safeguard their own forest resources is central to a new global forest protection agreement reached by the UN General Assembly last week.
Fifteen years after global discussions began on how to protect the world's forests, the General Assembly has adopted a new international forest agreement that is human-centered in its orientation. While it recognizes the role of forests in conservation of biodiversity and other environmental services, the agreement puts a strong emphasis on people and communities that depend on forests for their income and livelihoods.
"This is a paradigm shift," said Pekka Patosaari, director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat. It means that through the concept of sustainable forest management "policymakers can better judge the value of their forests, in a way that ensures long-term health and sustainability of this important natural resource," he said.
Speaking at a special event held by the UN General Assembly on December 17 to adopt the agreement, Patosaari said, "Almost all recent success stories of restoring the world's forests are, in one way or another, based on better recognition of the needs and actions of local peoples, their ownership and access rights and ancient knowledge of indigenous tribes and communities."
"Today, forests are disappearing, not only because of a lack of knowledge on how to manage and conserve them, but also because we have not been able to establish national or international regimes or support mechanisms which would directly support people's ownership and motivation to use the forest patrimony for the benefit of themselves and the rest of society," Patosaari said.
The agreement, entitled the "Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests," was negotiated in April within the UN Forum on Forests and transmitted to the General Assembly following its approval by the UN Economic and Social Council.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
