Launch of the Model Forest Act Initiative

Launch of the Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) and 1st meeting of the MoFAI Drafting Committee

On 17-18 July 2023, ADB, the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment, International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Environmental Law, UNDP, UNEP, UN Forum on Forests, and the World Bank convened at the Millenium Hilton, New York,  One UN Plaza, to launch the Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI), a groundbreaking initiative which aims to safeguard the future of forests. 

Supported by ADB's Law and Policy Reform Program, the initiative will modernize forest legal regimes to meet 21st century development challenges. The MoFAI will draft the general provisions of the Model Forest Act and accompanying legislative guide, which can be used by legislators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to adopt a modern legal framework to better protect and manage forests, taking into account the latest science and technologies, range of stakeholders, and legal innovations. ADB General Counsel, Thomas Clark, noted that the Model Forest Act would be transformational and acknowledged the support of development partners.