The objective of the proposed project is to enhance data, knowledge and awareness of forests in the UNECE region among policymakers in the region and global processes. Forests within the UNECE region, which are prevailingly boreal forests and temperate, cover 1.71 billion ha (42% of the global forest area). They play a critical role in preserving biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and sustaining the forest industry, yet their state, role and contributions to climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity and sustainable development at local, national and global level are not well studied, understood or known by policymakers or the general public. There is a need to better understand the state of these forests and the threats they face to inform sustainable forest management in the coming years and decades. The project will assist and promote cooperation with countries, regional entities and other partners for sustainable forest management of forests in the UNECE region, and the related sustainable use of forest products. The project contributes to the UNECE’s aim to collect, validate and disseminate information and results of research and analysis related to sustainable forest management and the sustainable production and consumption of wood products