Youth action towards sustainable management of forest ecosystems

Forest restoration and sustainable management of forest ecosystems are key to address environmental challenges and to promote sustainable development. To effectively implement initiatives and actions within the forest sector, it is important to take into consideration socioeconomic and cultural aspects, ensuring the active involvement and participation of key stakeholders and knowledge holders, including youth and women.

The forest sector plays a pivotal role in providing socio-economic opportunities for youth, is essential for the green transition and is therefore essential to address the worldwide generalized high rates of youth unemployment and NEETs (not in education, employment or training). However, young people often face unique struggles and barriers that hinder their effective participation and contribution and that slow down their entry into the labour market.

The Brummana Declaration (2019), as well as the Antalya Declaration (2022), encourage political and administrative authorities at national level to create incentives for youth to participate in diversified forestry education programmes, including through the creation of jobs for youth and to ensure that youth entrepreneurship in the Mediterranean region can fully and effectively participate.

This youth dialogue builds on the region’s diversity and strength, as it converges countries from the global North and the global South. This youth dialogue builds on the one held at the 7MFW held in Türkiye in 2022. Retaking the key themes that were highlighted by young people during the discussion as the main challenges faced in the forest sector.

Beyond exploring such challenges, this session aims to highlight the expertise and knowledge of young people, understanding their work, projects, research and overall experiences in forestry and restoration initiatives, with the goal to further identify pathways for enhanced youth engagement and empowerment. It also seeks to explore how the forest sector and restoration initiatives are key to providing socio-economic opportunities for youth, such as employment and funding.

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Organizers

The Youth Dialogue is organized by the Mediterranean Youth Taskforce, with the support of the Silva Mediterranea Secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and in partnership with the International Forestry Students Association (IFSA), the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), the World Food Forum and the Youth Task Force of the 27th session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO 27).

Its structure and dialogue format aims at involving equally all partners, through speaker roles and moderator roles. This means that the Youth Dialogue will count with many voices from MYTF, IFSA, YPARD, WFF and COFO 27 YTF – reflecting a partnership and collaboration as well as a diversity of young professionals.

The Youth Dialogue is the third youth assembly of the Youth Roadmap on Forestry, building on the two previous events:

• “Pre-COFO Youth Assembly: Young Minds Green Solutions”, which took place in preparation of the 27th session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO 27) in July 2024
• “Youth Perspectives: exploring the agriculture and forestry nexus” held during the World Food Forum Flagship event in October 2024.

The outcomes of these three sessions, conform and contribute to the Youth Roadmap on Forestry 2024.

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Objectives

• Recognize and highlight the unique contributions of youth in Mediterranean forest restoration and sustainable management of forest ecosystems by presenting youth expertise, leadership, innovation, and active involvement in the sector.
• Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among young experts, as well as promote intergenerational dialogue with more seasoned experts and policymakers across the Mediterranean region.
• Contribute to the larger efforts of creating a Youth Roadmap on Forestry that outlines tangible steps, opportunities, and responsibilities for global youth in sustainable forest management and restoration, including the agriculture-forestry nexus.
• Build upon previous youth dialogues and calls for action (7MFW Youth Dialogue 2022, World Forestry Congress call for action 2022, Pre-COFO Youth Assembly 2024, Youth Perspectives: exploring the agriculture and forestry nexus of the WFF 2024) by integrating new strategies and ideas with existing youth-driven recommendations, ensuring continuity and growth for a shared vision.
• To redirect the focus on needs for youth employment, funding, participation, engagement and leadership in the forest sector.

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