ADB's MoFAI Builds Momentum at COP15 on Migratory Species

Forests are crucial ecosystems for migratory species, providing habitats and shelter, regulating climate and hydrological patterns, and providing channels of ecological connectivity. Migratory species underpin forest biodiversity, support nutrient cycling, and enable seed dispersal and pollination. 

The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) showcased the latest draft at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15) in Brazil on 23–29 March 2026, during a panel discussion featuring Chief Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin (National High Court of Brazil), Deputy Director Andy Raine (Law Division, United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP]), and Professor Nick Bryner (MoFAI Rapporteur). Panelists explored the role of law and judges in translating principles into practice, ensuring coordination and coherence in the management of interconnected ecosystems, strengthening the science-policy interface, balancing incentives and enforcement, and bridging legal design and implementation.