Independent Assessment of the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF)
There are some positive signs of increasing global political commitment to forests in all regions of the world. The post-2015 IAF should build on the strengths and success of the current arrangement, address the weaknesses, and use the opportunities. It should aim to establish a strong forest stewardship role, mobilizing necessary actions and resources so that the importance of forests and trees is fully reflected in the sustainable development agenda at the global, regional, national, sub-national and local levels. The post-2015 IAF should also be able to promote implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests and trees outside forests. In this regard, the current IAF should be transformed into a more authoritative body to coordinate and steer the global forest agenda and to provide a global framework for SFM. The future IAF, with renewed commitment from all its members and associated parties, has the potential to achieve this: but it needs to be strengthened, for the sake of all who benefit, directly or directly, from the world’s forests.
