In 2010, given that no comprehensive scientific assessment of international forest1 governance (IFG) existed, the Global Forest Expert Panels (GFEP) initiative led by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) published a report (Rayner et al., 2010) to fill that gap. That report provided an overview of the complex and diverse elements that made up the global forest governance arrangements at the time; identified and analysed the core components of these arrangements; and proposed options for dealing with complexity and improving the effective implementation of forest governance at all levels. The outcomes of that report showed that IFG is complex and fragmented, and that many critical problems are cross-sectoral, requiring synergistic approaches to be solved.

Since 2010, an increasing number of actors, institutions, and arrangements at all scales have added additional layers of complexity to the already intricate IFG regime complex. The current assessment aims to provide an overview about the changes in IFG since 2010. Based on the scientific literature, the changes that have appeared since are critically analysed here to identify evolving trends, challenges, and potentials.

Specifically, this assessment is intended to:

• Contribute to informed forest-related international and regional political processes, 
• Raise awareness about global challenges of international forest governance and the critiques voiced in the scientific literature,
• Provide ideas for future governance designs.