The declaration adopted by Forest Europe stresses the importance of forests and all its functions and the role of forestry in fighting against climate change, ensuring the well-being of the society and preserving biodiversity. Along with the declaration, Forest Europe also adopted a resolution committing itself to undertake activities to enhance cooperation, research, awareness and management in all areas affecting the objectives of the declaration.

Minister Dr Podgoršek stressed at the conference: "Slovenia continues the work that began several decades ago. This means that it includes the principles of nature protection, sustainability and multifunctionality in all forest management plans and ensures that all citizens have access to social functions of forests. The total area of forests in Slovenia has increased and the biodiversity has generally improved during this period. Despite the restoration logging of forests that were damaged by glaze in 2014 and the overpopulation of bark beetles between 2015 and 2019, sustainable forest management enables Slovenia to use wood instead of energy-intensive materials and fossil fuels and to ensure a favourable status of many forest species, including large carnivores and large herbivores. Slovenia is pleased to sign the present declaration and resolution along with other signatories, taking into account the principles of close-to-nature, multifunctional and sustainable forest management."

This voluntary intergovernmental organisation, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, was established in Strasbourg in 1990 with the first Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe. The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) was renamed Forest Europe in 2009. It is a pan-European political process with 46 participating and observing countries (including the European Commission and the European Forest Institute), aiming to ensure sustainable management of European forests. The countries are committed to the sustainable management of European forests, following the close-to-nature principle and taking into account all the ecological functions of forests.

For further information on the 8th Ministerial Conference, please visit the official website.