ITTO calls for stronger partnerships in forest ecosystem restoration at Seoul workshop

ITTO Programme Officer Soo Min Lee speaks during a panel discussion at the Global Workshop on the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) held in Seoul, Republic of Korea. © Korea Forest Service

“Partnerships are key to scaling up global forest restoration”, said Soo Min Lee, Programme Officer at the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), during a panel discussion at the Global Workshop on the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) held in Seoul.

Dr Lee complimented FERI’s efforts toward helping countries achieve global biodiversity targets, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) goal of restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. He noted that tools such as WePlan-Forests have been valuable in helping countries plan restoration activities.

“At ITTO, we recognize strength lies in collaboration,” he said. “Rather than competing with other initiatives, FERI should continue to complement and build synergies with global and regional restoration efforts.”

Dr Lee underscored that while FERI’s twelve pilot projects have contributed to restoration on the ground, the next phase of the initiative could maximize impact by partnering with organizations with established field experience. He cited ITTO’s longstanding collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through their Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2010, which led to the launch of the ITTO–CBD Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity in 2011.

Between 2011 and 2020, this Collaborative Initiative implemented 16 projects across 23 tropical countries with a budget of USD 13 million. Despite the modest resources, an independent review found the projects had “extraordinary success” in improving local livelihoods, restoring degraded forests, and conserving biodiversity, while contributing to the Aichi Targets, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Forest Goals, and the objectives of the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA).

Dr Lee also announced that ITTO and IUCN are updating their 2009 Guidelines for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Tropical Timber Production Forests, with the revision incorporating new knowledge and aligning with the 2050 goals of the KMGBF to help tropical countries achieve their biodiversity commitments.

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, Dr Lee emphasized.

“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.”

Other experts from the Chemichemi Foundation, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as representatives from Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, and St. Lucia, participated in the panel discussion.