Collaborative Partnership on Forests

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) is an innovative, voluntary interagency partnership on forests that was established in April 2001 in response to an invitation issued in the Resolution 2000/35 by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) that established the International Arrangement on Forests and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF). The Partnership is currently comprised of 15 international organisations, institutions, and secretariats that have substantial programs on forests. The mission of the CPF is to help enhance the contribution of all types of forests and trees outside forests to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other internationally agreed development goals, promote the sustainable management of all types of forests, and to strengthen long-term political commitment to that end.

The core functions of the CPF are to support the work of UNFF and its member countries, promote the implementation of the UN Forest Instrument and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests as well as other international forest-related agreements, and enhance cooperation and coordination among CPF members and with other relevant organisations and processes. CPF members work together on forest issues to help move from deforestation to restoration, and joint initiatives are established between several CPF member organisations to coordinate and implement activities contributing to the same goals.

CPF has developed the CPF Work Plan 2021–2024 to present the planned activities of the CPF over 2021–2024, facilitate their implementation, and provide information on the intended activities for member States, CPF member organisations’ governing bodies, and stakeholders. The Partnership can point to many accomplishments in its 10-year history, such as helping countries to comply with the sometimes onerous task of reporting to treaties and international agreements on forests. Joint statements and policy papers have helped to inform the work of the UNFCCC, as well as the scientific bodies responsible for supporting international conventions on biological diversity, climate change, and desertification.

In summary, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests is an informal, voluntary arrangement among 15 international organisations and secretariats with substantial programs on forests. The Partnership aims to enhance the contribution of all types of forests and trees outside forests to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other internationally agreed development goals, promote the sustainable management of all types of forests, and strengthen long-term political commitment to that end. CPF members work together on forest issues to help move from deforestation to restoration, and joint initiatives are established between several CPF member organisations to coordinate and implement activities contributing to the same goals.