Beijing Statement on Forests and Forestry (2011 First APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry)

Minister and senior officials aspire to: Encourage APEC economies to enhance afforestation, reforestation and tree planting programmes and avoid further deforestation and forest degradation to increase forest cover so as to achieve the aspirational goal set in the 2007 Sydney APEC Leaders' Declaration and improve forest quality; Encourage the exchange of information on how forests can mitigate the effects of natural disasters and on measures needed for their recovery from such hazards, and strengthen exchange of information on monitoring and prevention of cross border forest pests, diseases and alien invasive species to prevent forest degradation; Develop and improve forests and forestry legislation and policies in order to strengthen forest governance, protect forest lands, establish secure forest tenure systems, and improve forest law enforcement.