The World Forestry Congress will be hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) on behalf of the South African government in 2015. This congress will be held at the International Convention Centre in Durban (ICC: Durban). It will be the first time in the 85-year history that the congress will be hosted on African soil.
South Africa was actively involved in the previous World Forestry Congress, held in Canada and Argentina in 2003 and 2009 respectively and provided scientific papers, posters and general participation. As part of the government’s Programme of Action, the DAFF seeks to address the major socio-economic challenges of the day in order to contribute towards the creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods, education, health, crime prevention, rural development, including land reform, and food production.
The country has been actively involved in the sustainable forest development global dialogue as early as 1992 and has thus contributed immensely towards the development of the International Arrangements on Forests through the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and its predecessors, the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF). With this experience South Africa has been able to contribute to the sustainable developmental agenda for Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Africa. With South Africa hosting the World Forestry Congress, it will enhance the sustainable forest developmental agenda of Africa and in particular help South Africa’s contribution to the development of the Congo Basin Forests.
For more information contact:
Steve Galane
Tel: 012 319 7312
Cell: 083 635 7346
E-mail: Dais@daff.gov.za
