In recent years, Armenia has gone through severe structural changes that have affected the forest sector. Forests, which were formerly under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, are now the responsibility of the Ministry of Nature Protection, together with areas dedicated to nature conservation.

These changes allow for a harmonized and more efficient system for forest monitoring and management, and they create momentum for finalizing a national-level set of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. The set, which has been developed in recent years through a multi-stakeholder process, addresses forest-related topics such as the extent of the forest area, biological diversity, socio-economic impacts, and productive and protective functions. It strives to transparently measure Armenia’s progress in achieving national forestry targets, including the reduction of illegal logging and the protection of forests and forest lands, and thus it supports evidence-based policy making. The set of criteria and indicators also can go along with the development of a new national forestry program.