Agadir – Morocco’s National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) Director General Abderrahim Houmy represented Morocco at the 21st session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21), held in the UN headquarters in New York City.
As Vice-Chair of the UNFF Bureau, Houmy oversaw and facilitated several consultation and negotiation sessions between delegations and international partners during the forum.
Morocco’s presence at UNFF21 builds on the country’s election to the Bureau of the United Nations Forum on Forests in May 2024, when Houmy was selected to represent the African continent for the 2024–2026 term.
Morocco’s participation reflected the country’s visible diplomatic engagement in global environmental governance, particularly on issues related to sustainable forest management, climate resilience, and biodiversity preservation.
The resolution adopted during UNFF21 calls for accelerating the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests and advancing the achievement of the 2030 Global Forest Goals.
It also stresses the importance of strengthening financing mechanisms, expanding international cooperation, and facilitating technology transfer in the forestry sector.
ANEF adopted this vision in several Moroccan initiatives related to community-based forest governance, technological innovation, and sustainable financing approaches.
One of these initiatives is the “Inclusive and Sustainable Forests in Morocco” initiative, supported by the European Investment Bank and implemented by ANEF.
It aims to strengthen sustainable forest management and climate resilience across the country through a €110 million financing package.
The project supports investments in national parks, watershed management, and forest infrastructure, particularly in mountainous regions vulnerable to erosion and flooding.
It also seeks to improve local livelihoods by promoting ecotourism, forestry value chains, and sustainable natural resource management while contributing to carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection.
The initiative forms part of Morocco’s “Forests of Morocco 2020-2030” strategy and aligns with broader international climate and environmental goals.