The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) has highlighted the vital role of partnerships in accelerating global forest ecosystem restoration efforts. During a panel discussion at the Global Workshop on the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI), held in Seoul, Soo Min Lee, Programme Officer at ITTO, underscored the importance of collaborative actions to scale up forest restoration efforts globally.
“Partnerships are key to scaling up global forest restoration,” said Dr. Lee, emphasizing that only through coordinated efforts can countries meet ambitious global biodiversity goals. Specifically, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) aims to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. Dr. Lee acknowledged that initiatives like FERI play a crucial role in assisting countries with planning and executing restoration projects, noting the utility of tools like WePlan-Forests in these efforts.
Reflecting on the collaborative nature of restoration efforts, Dr. Lee further explained, “At ITTO, we recognize strength lies in collaboration. Rather than competing with other initiatives, FERI should continue to complement and build synergies with global and regional restoration efforts.”
While FERI has launched twelve pilot projects that have made significant strides in ecosystem restoration, Dr. Lee proposed that the next phase of the initiative could achieve even greater impact by partnering with organisations with established field expertise. Drawing attention to ITTO’s long-standing collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), he highlighted the ITTO-CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity, which has successfully run 16 projects in 23 tropical countries with a budget of USD 13 million between 2011 and 2020.
Despite the modest resources, an independent review of the projects found “extraordinary success” in improving local livelihoods, restoring degraded forests, and conserving biodiversity. The initiative also contributed to key global frameworks, including the Aichi Targets, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Forest Goals, and the objectives of the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA).
As part of their ongoing commitment to advancing forest conservation, Dr. Lee also announced that ITTO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are revising their 2009 Guidelines for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Tropical Timber Production Forests. The update will incorporate the latest research and align with the 2050 targets of the KMGBF to help tropical countries meet their biodiversity commitments.
Dr. Lee concluded by stating, “We share FERI’s vision to ensure that ecosystem restoration is not just about planting trees, but about reviving ecosystems, supporting communities, and achieving long-term sustainability. The successful experience of the ITTO-CBD collaborative initiative can serve as a valuable vehicle for future collaboration with FERI. ITTO is committed to strengthening partnerships with FERI to ensure that resources are used effectively and that restoration efforts deliver lasting, positive impact on the ground.”
The panel discussion in Seoul also featured experts from the Chemichemi Foundation, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Representatives from Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, and St. Lucia contributed their insights, further enriching the dialogue on the critical importance of collaborative partnerships in forest ecosystem restoration.
The event in Seoul reinforced the growing recognition of partnerships as fundamental to achieving large-scale, lasting change in the restoration of global forest ecosystems. As the FERI initiative moves forward, these collaborations will be essential in meeting the ambitious goals set forth by the global community for the coming decade.
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