Here are some of the signatories of the declaration – countries that are home to some of the most precious, not to mention beautiful, forests in the world.
Australia
Northern Queensland is the only place on Earth where two Unesco World Heritage sites – the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef – meet.
The Daintree Rainforest is the part of the Wet Tropics that borders the reef. Similar in size to Hong Kong and tens of millions of years older than the Amazon, it is the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforest and is home to more tree species than the whole of Britain.
Wildlife enthusiasts keep their eyes peeled for crocodiles in the Daintree River, thrill seekers soar through the forest canopy on a zipline and botanists marvel at giant fig trees, king ferns and idiot fruit trees that date back 110 million years.
In a television interview, British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough described the northern Queensland jungle as “really extra-ordinary” and “absolutely fantastic” – strong language for the nonagenarian, who has arguably seen more of the world than anyone else – while noting that “very few people go there”.
Vietnam
The country’s forests have faced numerous existential challenges over the decades, including logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, land encroachment and defoliation – from 1962 to 1971, the United States Air Force sprayed nearly 19 million gallons (72 million litres) of herbicides such as Agent Orange over the country.
Despite this, the Southeast Asian nation’s total forest cover grew from 28 per cent in 1990 to 42 per cent in 2020 and there are ambitious plans to plant a billion trees by 2025.
Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve is a 366-island Unesco-designated archipelago of otherworldly limestone karst scenery in northern Vietnam.Visitors come for the kayaking and cave visits, rock climbing and floating village tours, as well as rugged hikes through tropical rainforest.
To get your bearings, warm up with a 45-minute loop to Ngu Lam viewpoint. Reaching the top involves clambering over gnarled roots and low-hanging vines, and negotiating slippery steps, but the sweeping vistas of razor-sharp mountain peaks softened by thick forest more than compensate.
England
Sherwood Forest draws joggers and cyclists, fungi foragers and fishermen. Archery lessons are popular, too, and for good reason.
The former royal hunting preserve is reputed to have been the stamping ground of Robin of Locksley, better known as Robin Hood.
The ancient woodlands and nearby city of Nottingham, in the English Midlands, are the perfect place in which to learn about the legendary man of the people who, along with his band of merry men, stole from the rich to give to the poor.
St Mary’s Church, in the village of Edwinstowe, is believed to be where Robin and Maid Marian were married, while Major Oak, a 900-year-old tree, may have been the secret hideout where the folk hero and his friends camped during their escapades.
Germany
Covering 6,000 sq km (2,320 square miles), the Black Forest was named by the Romans for the dark canopy of densely packed evergreen trees that carpet this corner of southwest Germany. Legend has it the foggy forests, lush meadows and half-timbered Hansel and Gretel houses were the inspiration behind the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.
Schwarzwald, to give the region its German name, is home to spa towns and cuckoo-clock shops, Michelin-star restaurants and bakeries selling Black Forest gateaux.
Hikers hit the Schluchtensteig Trail, a 120km (75 mile) route of steep moss-covered rock faces, gaping gorges, placid lakes and wispy waterfalls.
For part of the way, the path follows the historic Sauschwänzlebahn steam engine railway line, which still operates as a tourist train on summer weekends.
Finland
Finland provides an excellent model of woodland stewardship. At least three quarters of the Scandinavian nation is forested (the highest percentage in Europe) and growth has exceeded annual felling by 30 per cent in recent years.
Visit Finland, the tourism office website, has a “Find your forest” page, with information on everything from birdwatching by boat around Bengtskär Island, to Arctic mountain biking in Lapland – followed by a sauna, of course.
The Nordic nation boasts more than 40 national parks and hundreds of other nature reserves, all of them free to enter and open year-round.
Japan
About two-thirds of Japan is forested, which is almost double the global average. Semitropical Yakushima Forest, on the island of the same name, is recognised by Unesco for its plant diversity, and is home to some of the oldest trees in the world.
Much of Yakushima has been logged over the centuries but has been extensively replanted and reseeded, while some primary forest still remains.
Paved hiking trails, such as the Yakusugi Loop, lead deep into the interior, where, besides encountering macaques and deer, ramblers stumble upon 3,000-year-old Japanese red-cedar trees, also known as Japanese sugi pines.
End the day by soothing aching limbs in a beachside rock pool hot spring – tidal patterns permitting.
United States
Located on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in central California, the Sierra National Forest copes admirably with its high-profile competition.
Proximity to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks has little impact on visitor numbers – the forest, which is less than a four-hour drive away for 35 million people, welcomes around 1.5 million outdoor lovers annually.
This is Native American country and the five tribes living within the park boundaries consult, advise and play a role in forest management.
Summer visitors swim, windsurf and sail on the high sierra lakes – they have 469 to choose from – while winter sports fans come to ski and snowboard.
Wildfires raged through the forest this summer, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents and the closure of park and approach roads – a reminder of the importance of multilateral environmental agreements such as the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership.
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