Committee on Forestry

The Committee on Forestry (COFO) is the highest FAO Forestry governing body. As a global Technical Committee, it reports to the FAO Council on programme and budget matters and to the FAO Conference on policy and regulatory matters. The biennial sessions of COFO, held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, bring together heads of forest services and other senior government officials to identify emerging policy and technical issues, to seek solutions and to advise FAO and others on appropriate action.

Next session: 27th Session of COFO will be held from 22-26 July 2024

Joining COFO

Membership in the Committee on Forestry is open to all FAO Member Nations who inform the Director-General of their desire to become a member and of their intention to participate in the work of the Committee.

Membership now includes 121 countries (COFO Members). FAO Member Nations wishing to become members are invited to contact the COFO Secretariat at [email protected].

Regional Forestry Commissions

Qu Dongyu and HRH Princess Basma bint Ali

Six Regional Forestry Commissions were established by the FAO Conference between 1947 and 1959. Every two years, the Commissions bring together the Heads of Forestry in each major region of the world to address the most important forestry policy and technical issues in the region. The Commissions play a key role in the international arrangement on forests, serving as a link between global dialogue at the Committee on Forestry (COFO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), and national implementation.

UPcoming meetings

Near East Forestry and Range Commission - 26th Session
Jordan, 10 - 13 September 2023
North American Forest Commission - 32nd Session
Canada, 25 - 27 September 2023
Asia Pacific Forestry Commission - 30th Session
Australia, 2 - 6 October 2023
European Forestry Commission - 42nd Session - and the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry - 81st Session
San Marino, 20 - 24 November 2023

COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems

COFO Working Group The Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems was established as a subsidiary body of the Committee on Forestry in 2014. The group aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems and to promote the scaling and adoption of good practices for their protection, sustainable management and restoration, while enhancing and contributing to environmental and socio-economic resilience and sustainable livelihoods.