A country-led initiative in support of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) on decentralization and forest governance in Africa convened from 8-11 April 2008, in Durban, South Africa.

This international workshop brought together stakeholders, policy makers and experts to share experiences and explore opportunities for generating concrete gains from governance reforms and decentralized forest management. Keynote speakers drew links between conservation and democratization, arguing that decentralization in the forest sector could be an important lever for democratization and for strengthening mechanisms for representation and accountability. Working group sessions and several paper presentations addressed country experiences with: decentralized forest management and livelihoods; conservation, SFM and governance; and international trade, finance and forest sector governance reform, particularly in the context of earlier structural adjustment reforms undertaken by many African countries. Proposed recommendations and lessons that emerged included the necessity of strengthening institutional adaptive capacities and mechanisms for negotiation among interest groups, conflict resolution and collaboration to achieve common goals. Participants proposed recommendations to improve equity in forest revenue sharing and enhance reinvestment in the forest sector and local social services for forest communities. Participants also recognized the need for new analytical tools with which to understand and respond to the market and global trends in Africa for the benefit of local people and forests.
Links to further information
The conference website
UNFF Secretariat statement