The forests of the world affect the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people, as well as help to maintain bio-diversity and combat climate change, said a senior United Nations official at the opening ceremony of a global forum on forests.

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Sha Zukang, a Chinese diplomat who is UN under-secretary general for economic and social affairs, said the international society should strive to improve the management of forests and further forests' role in eradicating poverty. He spoke during the ninth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, which was held in New York on Monday.

There are fewer than 4 billion hectares of forests throughout the world, covering 31 percent of the world's land area, according to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.