Community engagement in forest management and restoration, as well as in climate action, has been increasingly recognized and implemented in West Africa over the past four decades. Significant progress has been made in terms of policy frameworks, capacity development, and local community empowerment. Despite the considerable attention paid to community-based forestry since the 1980s, there is still no major initiative to regularly report on the status and progress of CBF in the subregion. This policy paper attempts to fill this gap by taking stock of progress in West Africa.