Publication

This policy brief summarizes the key messages of the GFEP report “Embracing complexity: Meeting the challenges of international forest governance” and reaches out to international as well as national policymakers and other stakeholders.

Following key messages are highlighted:

• International forest governance is complex and fragmented.
• Many critical forest problems are cross-sectoral.
• Complex forest problems require synergistic approaches involving a wide range of policy instruments.
• The forest governance challenge is to move from a focus on forests towards the concept of ‘forests+’, which embraces inter-sectoral and inter-institutional complexity.
• Forests+ approaches will build on a better understanding of actors’ interests, ideas and incentives in complex environments.
• Forests+ will be coordinated by learning instruments, involving the development of new policy learning and engagement platforms.
• Forests+ calls for more inclusive governance.
• The nature of a forests+ approach will vary according to national capacities and policy styles.
• Spatial scale is important for forests+.
• New or adapted institutional arrangements are needed to strengthen and coordinate forest policy learning at the global level and to support engagement and problem solving among diverse stakeholders.