All organisations benefit from independent scrutiny, and for this reason 2006 was a particularly important year for CIFOR. An External Program and Management Review (EPMR), commissioned by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, looked at every aspect of CIFOR’s work, from the quality of its research to its institutional health, from its research partnerships to its influence on forest policy. The review concluded that CIFOR is rightly regarded as the world’s leading international forestry research organisation. It also offered advice on steps that CIFOR should take to become even better in its work and relevance.

The EPMR confirmed that CIFOR has achieved one of its main aims, which is to influence policy by conducting rigorous and objective research. Several examples for 2006 are featured in the following pages. In Brazil, for example, CIFOR and its partners convinced the government that it should get rid of regulations which were hampering the trade in non-timber forest products. This will do much to improve the incomes of harvesters and traders.

In Ethiopia, research by CIFOR showed that participatory forest management is an essential ingredient of sustainable forest management. As a result, policy-makers have recognised this in a new Forest Proclamation. CIFOR scientists have also played a prominent role in the forest-climate debate, and our research on reducing emissions from deforestation has influenced international policy.

CIFOR has much to be proud of, but we recognise that it is time to develop a new strategy to guide our work over the next decade. One of the key recommendations of the EPMR Panel was the need for CIFOR to develop a new strategy to replace the one that has guided its work since 1996. This task, which involves not just CIFOR staff but our partners around the world, will be completed towards the end of 2007. The ultimate aim is to ensure that CIFOR continues to produce high-quality research that benefits both forests and people.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to Angela Cropper and David Kaimowitz, the former Chair of the Board of Trustees and Director General, who left CIFOR in 2006. That the EPMR should provide such a positive assessment of CIFOR’s achievements owes much to the energy, dedication and inspiration provided by Angela and David during their years at the helm.

Andrew J. Bennett
Chair, Board of Trustees

Frances Seymour
Director General