ADB, ADBI, and UNEP Convene Policy Dialogue on Model Forest Act Initiative Ahead of COP30 in November

On 25 September 2025 in Tokyo, ADB, ADB Institute, and the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) held consultations on a legal blueprint for modernizing national forest laws being developed under the Model Forest Act Initiative, supported by the ADB Law and Policy Reform Program and other partners. 

Speakers, including ADBI Dean Bambang Brodjonegoro, ADB General Counsel Thomas M. Clark, ADB Environment Director Yoko Watanabe, UNEP Law Director Patricia Kameri-Mbote, and Chief Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin of the National High Court of Brazil, shared insights on forest laws and institutions vital in safeguarding forests. COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago, in a video recording, thanked the ADB-led dialogue, noting that forests and the law are priorities of the COP30 Presidency. 

Participants from the Japan Ministry of Environment, scientists, lawyers, academics, and international organizations contributed to the consultations.