Forests cover 31% of the world’s land surface, help mitigate climate change by storing carbon, and are home to most of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They improve soil, air, and water quality, provide livelihoods for millions, and, if sustainably managed, can be a source of renewable raw materials.

The Committee on Forestry (COFO) is the highest forestry statutory body under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with a membership including 122 countries. Its biennial sessions bring together heads of forest services and other senior government officials to identify emerging policy and technical issues, to seek solutions, and to advise the FAO and others on appropriate action. Membership in COFO is open to all FAO Member States who want to participate in its work.

FAO’s Forestry Programme seeks to enable transformative impacts that benefit forests and forest-dependent people in helping to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It oversees more than 230 projects in 82 countries.

The twenty-seventh meeting of the Committee (COFO 27) convened to discuss a number of key issues, including:

• FAO’s flagship report, The State of the World’s Forests 2024, which provides an in-depth analysis of forest-sector innovations towards a more sustainable future;
• the FAO Forestry Roadmap - From Vision to Action 2024-2031, and FAO’s work on forestry under its Strategic Framework 2022-2031;
• scaling up agroforestry;
• progress on FAO’s work on urban forestry and contributions to urban agrifood system transformation;
• the contribution of forestry to FAO’s work on climate change and integrated water management;
• work related to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 and mainstreaming biodiversity in forestry;
• the multi-year Programme of Work of the Committee on Forestry 2024-2027; and
• the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030.

COFO 27 met from 22-26 July 2024 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. At the same time, the FAO and its forestry partner organizations held events in commemoration of the ninth World Forest Week, under the theme “Accelerating Forest Solutions through Innovation.”

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting were Mika Schröder, Ph.D.; Deborah Davenport, Ph.D.; and Keith Ripley. The Digital Editor was Ángeles Estrada. The Editor was Pam Chasek, Ph.D.