The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has slated the Fourteenth World Forestry Congress for September 7-11, in Durban, South Africa.

A statement issued by Maria De Cristofaro of the FAO Forestry Department, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday said, the need for governments, civil society and the private sector to boost investment in forests as a key to sustainable development would be the focus of the congress.

It said, on the theme: “Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future”, participants would discuss ways to unleash the full potential of forests to lift rural populations out of poverty, act as buffers against climate change and inspire new technologies and renewable products.

The statement observed that Ministers and heads of international and national agencies would be among several thousand people gathering for the Congress, which takes place every six years.

This year’s event is being hosted by the Republic of South Africa with support from FAO, and marks the first time the Congress will be held on African, soil since its inception in 1926, the statement said.

According to the statement, highlights include the launch of FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015, which will show how the world’s forests have changed over the last 25 years and provide the latest information on the state of sustainable forest management.

“The Congress outcome, Vision 2050, is set to reinforce the contribution of forests and forestry to a sustainable future and help pave the road to a new climate change agreement at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris in December,” it added.