With reference to the ‘New York Declaration on Forests’, which of the following statements are correct?
1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014.
2. It endorses a global timeline to end the loss of forests.
3. It is a legally binding international declaration.
4. It is endorsed by governments, big companies and indigenous communities.
5. India was one of the signatories at its inception.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) was formally launched and endorsed at the UN Secretary-General Climate Summit held in New York in September 2014.
Statement 2 is correct: It sets clear global timelines, seeking to halve the rate of natural forest loss by 2020 and striving to end natural forest loss completely by 2030, alongside restoring 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The declaration is purely a voluntary, non-legally binding political proclamation, without sanctions or enforceable treaty mechanisms.
Statement 4 is correct: It features multi-stakeholder participation, endorsed by more than 200 entities including national governments, multinational corporations, indigenous peoples’ groups, and international civil society organizations.
Statement 5 is incorrect: India is not a signatory to the New York Declaration on Forests, choosing to pursue domestic forest conservation targets through sovereign frameworks and INDCs.
Thus, statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct — Option A.