«Forest Friends For Ukraine»: creation of an expert group to support ukraine’s forestry sector presented in Sweden

During the Forest Europe expert-level meeting (the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe), currently taking place in Malmö, Sweden, Ukrainian experts discussed attracting international assistance to support the country’s forestry sector amid the full-scale war.

«On behalf of the Head of the State Forest Resources Agency, Viktor Smal, and with the political support of Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotskyi, we presented the establishment of the expert-level working group «Forest Friends For Ukraine». In particular, this initiative aims to attract international technical assistance from European countries willing to support Ukraine’s forestry sector», - said Mariana Ostrovska, Head of the international relations, science and public communications sector of the State Forest Resources Agency.

According to her, one of the key mechanisms for attracting support will be a Multi-Donor Trust Fund, to be established with the support of Forest Europe members and the European Forest Institute (EFI).

Mariana Ostrovska recalled that back in August 2022, Forest Europe adopted a decision to support Ukraine’s forestry sector and its forests. In 2023, the expert-level meeting of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe confirmed the full implementation of this decision, recognized the importance of preserving Ukraine’s forests, and expressed readiness to assist in the country’s recovery.

«At the Forest Europe expert-level meeting in Brussels in December last year, Ukraine proposed the creation of a Multi-Donor Trust Fund as a tool to support the forestry sector. At that time, we received positive signals from international partners regarding support for this initiative: EFI Director Robert Mavsar confirmed that the European Forest Institute had begun exploring options for cooperation and financing», - she noted.

In addition, in Malmö the Ukrainian side proposed its own wording of one of the provisions in the draft Ministerial Declaration for the upcoming Forest Europe conference, which will take place in Stockholm in early June.

In particular, this concerns coordinated long-term technical and financial support for ukraine’s forestry sector during and after the end of russian aggression, as well as the establishment of the expert-level working group «Forest Friends for Ukraine» to facilitate the development and coordination of such assistance in cooperation with relevant organizations and initiatives.

«Ukraine is a full-fledged participant in shaping European forest policy within the intergovernmental Forest Europe process. This is a political platform that brings together more than 45 European countries. We are grateful that, during this difficult time for our country, we have the support of the international forestry community», - Mariana Ostrovska concluded.