The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) hosted its first in-person conference of the year among its lead representatives at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, on 22 March 2024. This momentous occasion signified the ongoing value of face-to-face dialogue in an era largely marked by online collaboration.

The event brought together the GFOI Leads Group, a quasi-board that facilitates management and oversight for the initiative as needed through consensus. The Leads Group is composed by the appointed representatives of each GFOI partner, including those from the governments of Australia, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America as well as the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), the European Space Agency (ESA), FAO, and the World Bank. 

A significant theme of the gathering was brainstorming on how to better support tropical countries with forest and carbon monitoring in light of the myriad of resources provided through GFOI partners as well as initiatives to facilitate country-led activities. The value of continuously revisiting and updating resource catalogues such as the GFOI Family of Resources was highlighted, along with the success of key products and tools such as SEPAL. 

This event underscored the vital importance of sustained collaboration among GFOI partners, emphasizing the innovative outcomes that emerge from productive dialogues – whether conducted in person or virtually.