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UN Agencies

Created in 1949, the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) is one of six FAO Regional Forestry Commissions that cover the world’s major geographic regions. The APFC, a forum for advising and taking action on key forestry issues, focuses on issues pertinent to Asia-Pacific, a region characterized by its diversity and rapid changes. Its activities are also shaped by shifts in international forestry paradigms, priorities and practices.

The FAO Forestry Programme addresses the issue of how to use trees, forests and related resources to improve people's economic, environmental, social and cultural conditions while ensuring that the resource is conserved to meet the needs of future generations. There are extensive links to publications, databases, and project information on this site.

Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) . The Collaborative Partnership on Forests was established in April 2001, following the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). It is the successor of the high-level, informal Interagency Task Force on Forest, which worked from 1995-2001 in support of IPF and IFF.

The Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) homepage provides access to publications produced by the FRA Programme and results from the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. You will also find definitions of forest and forestry terms used by FAO. Linked to these pages you will find information about forests and forestry in all countries.

The United Nations Forum on Forest (UNFF) originated from the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. The site tracks the progress of IFF meetings and agreements and holds a comprehensive list of forestry related organizations throughout the world.

International Fund for Agricultural Development was established in 1977 as an international financial institution as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD’s main objective is to provide direct funding and mobilize additional resources for programmes specifically designed to promote the economic advancement of the rural poor, mainly by improving the productivity of on and off-farm activities.

The mission of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is to help countries in their efforts to achieve sustainable human development by assisting them to build their capacity to design and carry out development programmes in poverty eradication, employment creation and sustainable livelihoods, the empowerment of women and the protection and regeneration of the environment, giving first priority to poverty eradication. See especially the UNDP Programme on Forests (PROFOR) that supports the drive for sustainable development and an improvement in poor people’s livelihoods by promoting the adoption of effective strategies for improved forest management at national and international levels.

The mission of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
CIFOR advances human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. CIFOR is one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).