Public vs. Private Forest Ownership and Management

It is within the purview of the UNFF mandate to confront issues regarding forest ownership and to examine the most effective management strategies. Historically, the UNFF has hosted ‘Multi-stakeholder dialogues’ to encourage contributions from major groups involved in management and ownership of forestlands. With environmental sustainability such a pressing concern, it is vital that the UNFF assist in organizing forest management and ownership—both public and private—to find which type of control is most conducive to sustainable development. The question is not strictly only which of these two forms of forest ownership is preferable; arguments can be made supporting both sides, depending heavily upon how a state structures ownership and maintenance. Rather, under this topic area, delegates to the UNFF will have an opportunity to consider the needs and differing degrees of capacity among states at various stages of development and will advise as to how both the UN and the larger international community can promote ownership arrangements that support best practices in sustainable forest management. This topic is both relevant and interesting to delegates because efforts of sustainable exploitation of forest resources are futile unless ownership and management is organized effectively.