The fifth high-level ministerial meeting of the United Nation's Forum on Forests (UNFF-5), which ended in New York on May 27, 2005, failed to agree to a set of reforms to accelerate the ailing process of promoting conservation and sustainable development of forests. UNFF-5 couldn't agree on even a declaration. Instead, it decided to carry on the deliberations to formulate a declaration text for UNFF-6, to be held in February 2006.

The saving grace of the meet was an admission that the decline in Overseas Development Assistance for sustainable forestry projects must be reversed and that the world's forest cover must increase. Delegates were also more open to various options to increase funding. In addition, they agreed informally to start work on a "voluntary code of conduct' of sustainable forest principles, in lieu of pursuing a legally binding international agreement.