IFSA met AFoCO Executive Director at the XV World Forestry Congress in Korea

Building the ground for future collaboration

by Yeji Lee

May 5, 2022 – At the XV World Forestry Congress, there was a meeting where IFSA WFC delegates and the AFoCO team could meet and learn about each other. It aimed to build the ground for IFSA’s and AFoCO’s future collaboration where both organizations can get co-benefits and grow together. 

Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation toward achieving the shared SDGs and regional and global forestry objectives. Through action-oriented practices, AFoCO aims to contribute to the global goals of increasing forest cover and implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change. As a subsidiary organization of AFoCO, the AFoCO Regional Education and Training Center (RETC) was established to develop the capacities of member countries to deal with forestry and related environmental issues. 

Recognizing the importance of engaging youths as future leaders in the sector, a dialogue meeting between AFoCO and IFSA on the occasion of WFC was proposed and arranged by internship trainee Ms. Lee Yeji, who is also serving as CIFOR/YIL Commissioner of IFSA, to raise awareness between the two organizations and explore future partnership opportunities. Ms. Yang Juyoung, an internship trainee of AFoCO, assisted with the preparation of the meeting and served as the MC.

The session is opened by the meeting organizer, Yeji Lee, by providing an introduction of AFoCO, its member countries, and key milestones. Following the presentation on AFoCO, IFSA delegates took turns to introduce IFSA and their work.

• As the first presenter from IFSA, Simone Massaro, IFSA’s Executive Secretary, and focal member, presented general information about IFSA’s vision and mission, its strategic goals, geographical coverage, and partners. An example of projects where IFSA is engaged is the EFI-IFSA-IUFRO Capacity Development Project on Green Jobs. It investigated the transforming employment trends in the forest sector from students’, universities’, and policy makers’ perspectives.
• Isabelle Claire, IFSA’s Internal Councilor, elaborated on how the organization operates by showing the IFSA organizational structure. Among the departments she showed is the Internal Department, which consists of the Communication Commission and Capacity Development Commission. Following that, she elaborated on capacity-building activities like ‘IFSA-TreE-Learning,’ ‘Job fair,’ ‘Joint IFSA-IUFRO Task Force on Forestry Education,’ ‘ Language School,’ and ‘Cultural Day.’ The Internal Department also strives to strengthen the teamwork and rapport within the IFSA community and connect 133 Local Committees in seven regions into one.
• Aditi Mishra, IFSA’s external Councilor, described the external structure of IFSA. The external department consists of the ‘International Policy Commission’ and ‘Partners Commission’ with many sub-commissions from its partners. The ‘International Policy Commission’ includes processes that enable IFSA to participate at a higher level surrounding the partners such as UNFF, UNFCCC/UNCCD, UNCBD, UNEP, and Forest Europe. The ‘Partners Commission’ has the eight Sub-Commission Heads who act as liaisons between IFSA and the partner organizations. She also explained about two partners in Asia — RECOFTC, and ITTO. Following them, AFoCO can also be internationally involved in the Asia-Pacific region. The external department works hard to create opportunities for forestry students across the globe to be involved in international events and organizations.
• As the last presenter from IFSA, Elivis Omoit from Uganda, the Head of CIFOR/YiL Sub-Commission, specified IFSA’s collaboration with the partners by giving the example of CIFOR and YIL. He explained his work as a part of the Steering Committee of YIL and his experience leading the delegates in the annual Global Landscape Forum events. Also, the Youth in Landscape Initiative collaborated with IFSA by participating in internal events such as the global IFSA Job fair, where there were openings for jobs and internships. Additionally, CIFOR-ICRAF has supported IFSA with access to experts on different topics who have shared their knowledge and experience during webinars organized by IFSA.

Mr. Ricardo L. Calderon, Executive Director of AFoCO, welcomed IFSA delegates and acknowledged IFSA as a well-organized student organization. He encouraged students to look beyond the classroom and seek opportunities to engage in practical training, develop technical skills, and network with forestry professionals. He went on to highlight the importance of taking on internships to apply what they have learned and gain valuable work experience before embarking on a career. He further stated that youths could influence authorities through their collective power and voices, and he also expects AFoCO to expand opportunities for youth involvement. 

In closing, ED emphasized that targeting similar goals and developing more collaboration ideas are essential for developing and progressing in partnership between the two organizations.

The meeting was a meaningful time for both AFoCO and IFSA to learn about one another, and both sides are optimistic about future partnership and collaboration. Following the first AFoCO-IFSA meeting, more ideas and opportunities to cooperate and grow together will be explored.

Please find the official meeting report and AFoCO leaflets in the attachments