CEI-Bois at COFO 28: "strengthening connections to advance the forest-based bioeconomy"
On 29 September, CEI-Bois Secretary General, Silvia Melegari, in her new role as Chair of the FAO Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI), delivered the opening remarks at the 28th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) and the 10th World Forest Week.
The event brought together private sector leaders and country representatives from different regions, with a shared interest in advancing sustainable forest-based bioeconomy approaches.
In her opening remarks, Silvia highlighted the importance of connections across sectors, organisations, countries and regions. Drawing on the setting of the event in FAO’s Atrium surrounded by trees, she noted that, just as forests thrive because of their connections, advancing the forest-based bioeconomy requires both strong foundations at home and strong connections between actors.
Silvia set out the ambition for the exchange: to share models that are already delivering results, explore new opportunities and openly discuss the barriers that remain. She highlighted the importance of cooperation between governments, industry, FAO, research institutions, local communities, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders to help overcome those barriers and turn opportunities into action.
She also underlined the growing expectations placed on forests to provide solutions for climate, sustainable materials, biodiversity, rural livelihoods and economic development. Meeting these expectations, she stressed, will require practical partnerships and coordinated action.
Her remarks also addressed the Joint Statement on Driving the Forest-Based Bioeconomy: A Call to Action from the Private Forest-based Sector, launched jointly by ACSFI, the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Forest Solutions Group.
Silvia described the Joint Call for Action not as an endpoint, but as a foundation for targeted action and an opportunity to accelerate collaboration on strategic priorities including sustainable forest management, innovation, investment, resilient value chains, resource efficiency, forest restoration, workforce development and market conditions that reward sustainability.
She also highlighted the role of ACSFI in bringing together diverse perspectives and serving as a bridge between industry expertise, FAO’s mandate and the priorities of member countries, helping to strengthen the alignment needed to move from ambition to implementation.
Concluding her remarks, Silvia called for stronger partnerships, greater alignment and trust across sectors:
“If we continue to strengthen partnerships, align efforts, and build trust across sectors, we can help ensure that forests remain a source of resilience, prosperity, innovation, and sustainable development for generations to come.”
Read the full opening speech
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