Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you Chair.
Firstly, New Zealand thanks the Secretariat for the report and notes with appreciation the intersessional efforts from the Secretariat, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and all those who have contributed to advancing financing for forests.
We congratulate the Secretariat on the signing of the agreement with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2025 and encourage continued partnership with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, financial institutions, and member countries.
We welcome the support provided by the Network in strengthening countries’ capacity to mobilize resources from all sources for sustainable forest management.
On the topic of the proposed GFFFN office in China, we note that discussions have been going on for many years, and despite best endeavours, agreement on arrangements for the office are still not fully finalised, although we recognise the update provided by the Secretariat today. We consider, however, that efforts of members and the Secretariat may be better focused on working to make the UNFF more effective and we encourage the Secretariat to focus on efficient and effective use of resources during this time of resource constraint across the UN, to maximise the impact of the Forum’s work.
I thank you Chair.