The importance of forests for the future of humankind and the planet lead the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations to establish an Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) in 1995, in order to pursue consensus and formulate coordinated proposals aimed at the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

In 1997, after the IPF mandate concluded, the ECOSOC established an intergovernmental forum on forests (IFF) to take over IPF tasks; continue policy dialogue on forests at the intergovernmental level and promote and facilitate the implementation of the proposals for action.

Finally, in 2000, ECOSOC's Commission on Sustainable Development established the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) to provide a forum for continued policy development and dialogue among governments which would involve international organizations and other interested parties, as identified in Agenda 21, in order to 'foster a common understanding on sustainable forest management and address forest issues in a holistic, comprehensive and integrated manner'.

One of the UNFF mandates is to follow up on the IPF/IFF Proposals for Action which involve a wide-ranging set of approximately 300 proposals related to forests, including the development of criteria and indicators.

Along with the creation of the UNFF, the Commission on Sustainable Development also urged the heads of relevant organizations of the United Nations system and heads of other international organizations and institutions to form a Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)  to support the work of the United Nations Forum on Forests.