Forests, Forest People, and UN 2030 Agenda’s Ethical Mandate: “LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND”

Author: Hans Gregersen, Hosny El-Lakany, & Alain Frechette

Date: September 4, 2020

The contributions of the forest, trees outside forests, and agroforestry sector (FTA) are crucial for achieving the United Nation’s (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development fairly and inclusively. This paper reviews FTA sector contributions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda—both individually and collectively—in the specific context of the development and well-being of the more isolated Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) that are part of the explicit “leave no one behind” commitment expressed in the Agenda.

The discussion is divided into four parts. Part One lays out the paper’s objectives, scope, and background. Part Two discusses how the FTA sector, working with and through other sectors, contributes to achieving the interconnected SDGs. It provides evidence of the breadth and strength of the FTA sector’s contributions across the SDGs to sustainable development. Part Three focuses on the prerequisites for strengthening the ability of IPLCs to sustainably use their forests to meet their livelihood needs and support their own sustainable development goals and approaches. Part Four provides conclusions and implications for the way forward in the context of achieving UN Agenda 2030.


https://doi.org/10.53892/YNZM8033