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Marking the launch of the International Year of Forests, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday called on the world to realize the full potential of forests to ensure future prosperity.

"By declaring 2011 as the International Year of Forests, the United Nations General Assembly has created an important platform to educate the global community about the great value of forests -- and the extreme social, economic and environmental costs of losing them," Ban said in a video message for the launch at the General Assembly earlier Wednesday.
Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the international year of forests, the theme is "forests for people," which highlights the dynamic relationship between forests and the people who depend on them.
"Forests are vital to our well-being," Ban said. "They harbor 80 percent of land-based biodiversity and store more than 1 trillion tons of carbon."
He noted that greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation account for more than those by the world's entire transportation sector.
At the recent climate change conference held in Cancun, Mexico from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, Ban called it an "important step" as governments are working to build a low-emission, climate resilient future.
"The balanced package of measures on which they agreed included progress on the conservation and sustainable management of forests, " he said.
Highlighting that the decision to move forward with Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plus (REED+), Ban said it will "provide tangible results for the planet and the more than 1.6 billion people who depend on forests for sustenance and livelihoods."
"Let us build on this promising initiative so that present and future generations continue to benefit from the rich diversity of forests," he said.
Looking ahead, "we have a chance to agree on how best to realize the full potential of forests -- for sustainable development, economic stability, the fight against poverty and our efforts to ensure future prosperity for all," Ban said.Source:Xinhua