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Similarly, across the globe, we continue to battle with the economic,food and energy crises, and to address the urgent and pressing challengeof climate change. Sustainable forest management is inextricablylinked to these issues and offers us the opportunity to addressthem.The United Nations Forum on Forests, through its continuing effortsto advocate for and guide policies for sustainable forest managementat all levels, has been able to generate consensus, which hasresulted in the adoption of the four Global Objectives on Forests.These objectives which we must all deliver on comprise: reversingthe loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management,consistent with the objective of Reducing Carbon Emissionfrom Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), on which progressis being made, including through the UN-REDD Programme;enhancing forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits;increasing significantly the area of protected forests worldwide;and reversing the decline in official development assistance for sustainableforest management.What now remains is to make these goals a reality. I wish thereforeto take this opportunity to call for implementation and action at ascale and speed essential to address and counteract deforestationand forest degradation, so as to achieve concrete results on sustainableforest management and improvement of the livelihoods, particularlyof forest dependent communities.The presence at this Summit of political leaders and policy makersat the highest level, and from countries whose territories command80% of tropical forests and harbour 60% of global biodiversity, demonstratesstrong political commitment towards laying a firm basis forconcrete actions and the realization of these Global Goals.This Summit is also significant as it brings to bear on the forest agenda,the required vision for embracing and translating into action,programmes and policies on forest management. Therefore, the establishmentof South-South and North-South cooperation for forestand climate change, as an outcome of this Summit is very welcome,as it will provide the necessary framework for collective action.Integrating Africa313