爱思英语编者按：“世界森林日”，又被译为“世界林业节”，英文是 “World Forest Day” 。1972年3月21日为首次“世界森林日”。有的国家把这一天定为植树节；有的国家根据本国的特定环境和需求，确定了自己的植树节；中国的植树节是3月12日。而今，除了植树，“世界森林日”广泛关注森林与民生的更深层次的本质问题。

Secretary-General’s Message on International Day of Forests
秘书长国际森林日致辞

21 March 2013
2013年3月21日

Forests are vital for our well-being.  They cover nearly a third of the globe and provide an invaluable variety of social, economic and environmental benefits.Three-fourths of freshwater comes from forested catchment areas.  Forests stabilize slopes and prevent landslides; they protect coastal communities against tsunamis and storms.  More than 3 billion people use wood for fuel; some 2 billion people depend on forests for sustenance and income, and 750 million live within them.

森林对于我们的安康至关重要。森林覆盖全球将近三分之一的面积，并提供了各种极为宝贵的社会、经济和环境益处。四分之三的淡水来自森林覆盖的集水区。森林稳固了坡地并防止滑坡；森林在海啸和风暴中保护了沿海社区。30多亿人使用木柴作为燃料；约有20亿人依靠森林维持生计和获取收入，7.5亿人居住在森林之中。

By proclaiming the International Day of Forests and the Tree, the United Nations has created a new platform to raise awareness about the importance of all types of forest ecosystems to sustainable development.

联合国通过宣布国际森林日，创立了一个新的平台，以提高人们对各种类型的森林生态系统在可持续发展中重要性的认识。

Forests are often at the frontlines of competing demands.  Urbanization and the consumption needs of growing populations are linked to deforestation for large-scale agriculture and the extraction of valuable timber, oil and minerals.  Often the roads that provide infrastructure for these enterprises ease access for other forest users who can further exacerbate the rate of forest and biodiversity loss.

森林往往位于需求相互竞争的最前沿。城市化和人口增长造成的消费需求，都与为扩大农业规模和开采宝贵的木材、石油和矿物而砍伐森林联系在一起。为这些企业提供基础设施的道路，往往也为进一步加快森林和生物多样性丧失速度的其他森林使用者提供了便利。

Forests are also central to combating climate change.  They store more carbon than is in the atmosphere.  Deforestation and land-use changes account for 17 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions.  As weather patterns alter due to climate change, many forested areas are increasingly vulnerable.  This underlines the urgency of a global, inclusive, legally binding climate change agreement that will address greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the protection and sustainable management of forests.

森林也是应对气候变化的中心环节。森林储存的碳超过大气中的碳含量。在人类的二氧化碳排放量中，砍伐森林和改变土地使用模式造成的排放量占17%。由于气候变化改变了天气格局，许多森林地区受到日益严重的威胁。这突出显示了迫切需要达成具有包容性和法律约束力的全球气候变化协议，以解决温室气体排放问题并鼓励对森林的保护和可持续管理。

Notwithstanding these immense challenges, there are encouraging signs.The global rate of deforestation has decreased by almost 20 per cent in the past decade.  We need now to intensify efforts to protect forests, including by incorporating them into the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals.

尽管面对这些巨大的挑战，我们仍能看到一些令人鼓舞的迹象。全球森林砍伐率在过去十年里减少了将近20%。我们现在必须加紧努力保护森林，包括将这些努力纳入2015年后的发展议程和可持续发展目标。

On this first International Day of Forests and the Tree, I urge governments, businesses and all sectors of society to commit to reducing deforestation, preventing forest degradation, reducing poverty and promoting sustainable livelihoods for all forest-dependent peoples.

在此第一个国际森林日之际，我敦促各国政府、企业界和社会各阶层致力于减少毁林、防止森林退化、减少贫穷和促进所有以森林为生者的可持续生计。