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.
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Answer: A. Statement 1 is correct: the declaration was endorsed at the UN Climate Summit, New York, 2014. Statement 2 is correct: it aims to halve forest loss by 2020 and end it by 2030. Statement 3 is wrong: it is voluntary and non-binding. Statement 4 is correct: governments, companies, NGOs and indigenous groups endorsed it. Statement 5 is wrong: India did not sign it. So 1, 2 and 4.
Watch for: Students assume India signs every major climate declaration; it did not endorse this one.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because the declaration is non-binding and India did not sign.
- C. Wrong because it is not legally binding.
- D. Wrong because India was not a signatory.
Source to check: New York Declaration on Forests website (forestdeclaration.org); UN Climate Summit 2014 documents
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.