ADB Presents the Model Forest Act Initiative at the 19th Session of the UN Forum on Forests

ADB's Law and Policy Reform Program, together with the United Nations Environment Programme, presented the Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) to UN member states, permanent observers and regional and international organizations at the 19th Session of the UN Forum on Forests in New York City on 6-10 May 2024. The MoFAI is a groundbreaking initiative to develop the General Part of the Model Forest Act as a systematic way to provide expertise, efficiency and scale required to match the severity and urgency of the global forest crisis. The Model Forest Act is a legal blueprint for policymakers, legislators and other stakeholders in designing a modern forest legal framework to meet 21st century challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The General Part of the Model Forest Act will be accompanied by a legislative guide to facilitate understanding and implementation. The MoFAI is supported by a global alliance of partners comprised of the ADB, Global Judicial Institute on the Environment, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Environmental Law, United Nations Environment Programme, UN Forum on Forests and the World Bank Group, among others. Investing in nature is critical to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the Pacific.