At its 11th session in June 2007, the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture emphasized the urgent need to conserve and sustainably use FGR, and included a report on The State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources in its Multi-Year Programme of Work. On the basis of the information and knowledge compiled by FAO for The State of World’s Forest Genetic Resources, the Commission developed the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources, adopted by the FAO Conference at its 38th session in June 2013. This Global Plan of Action identifies 27 strategic priorities grouped into 4 areas: 1) improving the availability of, and access to, information on FGR; 2) conservation of FGR (in situ and ex situ); 3) sustainable use, development and management of FGR; 4) policies, institutions and capacity-building.