Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, served as the head of the Thai delegation at the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America, held between 11–15 May 2026. Mr. Nikorn Sirirojananon, Director-General of the Royal Forest Department, along with officials from the Royal Forest Department, also attended the meeting.
The objective of this meeting was to bring together the 193 UNFF member states to collectively determine policies and guidelines for sustainable forest management. In particular, the meeting focused on accelerating the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 across three major Global Forest Goals (GFGs): halting the loss of forest cover and restoring ecosystems (GFG 1), increasing the proportion of sustainably managed forests (GFG 3), and forest governance, including technology to support forest management (GFG 5). These efforts aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other environmental agreements through the cooperation of global networks.
Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej delivered a statement demonstrating Thailand's commitment to implementing the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests. Thailand places great importance on sustainable forest management through cooperation mechanisms between the government sector and local communities. The role of communities is promoted through the Forest Act, Buddhist Era 2484 (1941) and its amendments, and the Community Forest Act, B.E. 2562 (2019). Currently, there are nearly 12,000 community forests covering an area of approximately 6.2 million rai, which help conserve biodiversity, increase carbon sequestration, and improve
the quality of life for citizens based on a bio-based economy.
Furthermore, Thailand has adopted technology and innovation for forest fire prevention, forest resource protection, and the promotion of legal timber and wood product trade. This includes a reliable traceability system to further support the achievement of global sustainable development goals.
