The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) will convene a three-day conference, Forests Africa: Opportunities for a Green Economy. The conference will be supported by the UN-REDD Programme, the World Agroforestry Center and will be open for partnerships with other organizations.

The event will provide a platform for key players from government, the private sector (formal and informal), civil society, media, as well as the research and development sectors, to openly discuss the challenges and opportunities that Africa’s forests present for the development and comparative advantage of the continent and its transition to a Green Economy.

The conference will aim to take a step toward repositioning forests within Africa’s economic and political landscape.  In transitioning to a Green Economy, Africa will require economic growth pathways that are diversified, generate greater employment, produce higher outputs with lower inputs, reduce environmental risks and enhance competitiveness for African economies.  The conference will increase awareness of the challenges and opportunities for forests to contribute to green economies at the local, national and regional levels through sustainable management, REDD+, trade of forest products and services, and inclusive processes. It will also identify the range of enabling policies required. Delivering on such a goal will require coordinated collaboration among a broad range of policy and non-state stakeholders – especially those from outside the forestry sector.

Conference Structure and Content

The conference is designed as a three-day event, divided into two parts. The first part, entitled ‘Experts and evidence workshop’, is a two-day session in which leading scientists and practitioners will present the latest research, experience and thinking on selected topics. This will then lead into a one-day policy conference in which key messages stemming from these workshop sessions will be presented for discussion to policymakers at the highest level from across Africa.

Participant registration for the conference will open on June 1. For more information, contact Daniel Cooney at CIFOR at d.cooney@cgiar.org.

Experts and evidence workshop - Day 1
Tuesday 17 September	Morning Science and Solutions Session 1 (parallel): Agriculture
	Morning Science and Solutions Session 2 (parallel): Energy
	Afternoon Analysing REDD+: A global review of the state of national policies, projects and MRV (Organized by CIFOR’s Global Comparative Study on REDD+)
Experts and evidence workshop - Day 2
Wednesday 18 September	Morning Science and Solutions Session 1 (parallel): REDD+ and a Green Economy
	Morning Science and Solutions Session 2 (parallel): Rights and governance
	Afternoon South-South Cooperation session – Exchanging experience on REDD+ readiness between Africa, Asia and Latin America (organized by the UN-REDD Programme) TEDx Event followed by a Reception
High-level science-policy conference (modelled on Forest Day)
Thursday 19 September	Morning Plenary Session High-level Science-policy keynotes
	Coffee Break
	Morning Discussion Forums Two parallel sessions focussed on 1. The enabling conditions for increased investment into sustainable forest management and REDD+; 2. People, food and forests: REDD+ and the landscape approach for Africa
	Lunch/networking
	Issues Marketplace
	Afternoon Discussion Forums Two parallel sessions focussed on 1. The enabling conditions for increased investment into sustainable forest management and REDD+; 2. People, food and forests: REDD+ and the landscape approach for Africa
	Coffee Break
	Closing Plenary Session High-level speeches
	Evening cocktail

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