TEHRAN - Amir Saeed Iravani, the permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations, has emphasized the need for international cooperation to sustainably manage forests.

Referring to some of the country's measures taken toward sustainable forest management, he pointed to deforestation, climate change, and limited access to markets and financial resources as the main challenges of countries in this regard, IRNA reported.

He made the remarks at the 18th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF18) which is being held from May 8 to 12 in New York.

Enumerating the capacity of forests to deal with economic, social, and environmental crises and the damage and negative effects of dust storms on sustainable forest management, he said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, in cooperation with the United Nations, is hosting the international conference on combating dust storms.”

This conference will be held in Tehran on September 9-10 this year aiming to examine the challenges and problems of countries affected by dust storms and to provide practical solutions to deal with this challenge and global problem, he added.

Enhancing forest-based economic, social, and environmental benefits, and increasing significantly the area of protected forests worldwide and other areas of sustainably managed forests, as well as the proportion of forest products from sustainably managed forests, are among the thematic priorities for UNFF18.

Mobilizing financial resources and strengthening scientific and technical cooperation, promoting governance frameworks to advance implementation, and enhancing cooperation, coordination, and coherence, for sustainable forest management are some other key topics of the event.

On April 26, Department of Environment chief Ali Salajeqeh said the Department of Environment will hold five international meetings in the current Iranian calendar year that started on March 21.

“At least five international meetings will be held this year, one of which is the conference on combating sand and dust storms,” he added, IRNA reported.

One of the approvals of the regional meeting of environment ministers, which was held in Iran last summer, was the establishment of a regional dust organization, he highlighted.

“Environmental diplomacy is the main priority for the country's political diplomacy, so holding the conference on combating sand and dust storms is important for us.”

So far, 11 meetings of the national headquarters for policymaking and controlling dust storms have been held and the results of these meetings should be evaluated and made public, he stressed.

In July 2022, Tehran played host to a conference of ministers and officials from 11 countries, aiming to boost cooperation for resolving extant environmental problems, especially sand and dust storms.

Environment ministers of Iraq, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Syria, and Qatar, as well as deputy ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan along with delegations from Turkey and Uzbekistan, participated in the event which was held with the theme of “Environmental Cooperation for a Better Future.”

MG