The West African land cover reference system (WALCRS) is the result of an initiative to take a first step towards a harmonized and ISO based international reference system for creating land cover legend in the region. The regional system has been supported by various projects and organizations such as “Global Transformation of Forest for People and Climate Focus Africa '' funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), SERVIR West-Africa. The virtual regional consultation was organized on 3 July 2023 for experts dealing with land cover from all around the world. This consultation aims at strengthening collaboration between national, regional, and international stakeholders on land cover and to implement and operationalize the regional land cover reference system in the region. It will contribute to defining the way forward for the preparation of reliable baseline land cover information for West African countries using the WALCRS.