Speakers known around the world for their expertise in the area of forests will appear at the 25th World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). During the plenary sessions, scientists, researchers, teachers, students, and professionals in the forest sector will participate in discussions on issues related to the event’s five main themes. Each session will feature at least two guests. The discussions will be held every day except Thursday (when congress participants will go on technical visits to forest areas of interest near Curitiba). According to Yeda Maria Malheiros de Oliveira, researcher at Embrapa Forestry and vice president of the event’s organizing committee, the speakers were chosen for their individual experience and viewpoints. "We sought out some people with a more scientific perspective, as well as others with a more humanist vision or a more practical approach to using science in real life," she says. She also adds that the guests are notable figures on the regional and global stage. "We invited people from various continents, both men and women, for more diversity in terms of viewpoints and experiences." IUFRO2019 is being organized in Brazil by Embrapa and the Brazilian Forest Service. The event will be held from September 29 to October 5 in Curitiba; this is the first time the congress is being held in Latin America. Complete information about each speaker can be found at: http://iufro2019.com/guest-speakers/. The following section describes the content and guests for each plenary session: Monday, September 30 The first session will be a dialog with a moderator, a keynote speaker, and panelists discussing “The Role of Forests, Forest Products, and Forest Services in a Changing Climate.” The moderator will be the consultant Gerald Steindlegger, former CEO of WWF Austria and former director of policy for the Program on Forests and Climate Change at WWF International. The keynote speaker for this session will be Werner Kurz, senior scientist at the Canadian Forest Service. The three guest panelists will be Germany’s State Secretary for the Environment Jochen Flasbarth, Josefina Braña Varela of WWF International’s Program for Forests and Climate, and Thaís Linhares-Juvenal, Team Leader for Forest Governance and Economics at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Tuesday, October 1 On the topic of "Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Biological Invasions," this plenary session will explore issues such as the impacts and effectiveness of different forest management practices on biodiversity in protected areas and community-based forest management, as well as agroforestry systems. Björn Hånell, a professor with more than 40 years’ experience in research and teaching at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, will moderate the session. The speakers will be Suzanne Simard, professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, and Ivonne Higuero, Secretary General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and environmental economist. Wednesday, October 2 The plenary session on the third day of the event will focus on “Forests and People.” The topics covered will include human well-being and quality of life related to economic and social assets and environmental services which forests provide to urban as well as rural populations. The guest who will lead the discussions is John Parrotta, Program Leader for International Forest Science Issues at the US Forest Service (and incoming IUFRO president). Purabi Bose, an anthropologist and specialist in policies for use of forest areas, and Maria Chiara Pastore Stefano Boeri, research director at Stefano Boeri Architetti and associate professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, will discuss the session theme. Friday, October 4 "Forests and Forest Products for a Greener Future" will be the topic of the plenary session, which will address trends in demand for traditional and innovative forest products, goods, and ecosystem services, increased use of wood in the construction sector, and other uses. The moderator of the session will be Daniela Kleinschmit, professor of forestry and environmental policy at the University of Freiburg. The debate participants will be Vincent Gitz, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry, and Klabin's Director for Industrial Technology, Innovation, Sustainability and Pulp Business, Francisco Razzolini. Saturday, October 5 The last plenary session will focus on “Interactions between Forests, Soil, and Water.” Topics will include Issues such as water consumption by forest plantations in comparison with other land uses, governance, and institutional arrangements related to management of forested watersheds. The session will be moderated by Shirong Liu, professor and chief scientist in forest ecology and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Forestry. The guest participants will be Meine van Noordwijk, professor of agroforestry at Wageningen University (Netherlands), and Dipak Gyawali, Academic at the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology. About the Congress: www.iufro2019.com