International Workshop on Forests, Landscape and Governance

This recent workshop, hosted by the working group “Trees and Forests in Development Cooperation” was organised by Intercooperation and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOREN). The programme included contributions from international forest governance specialists, a half-day excursion providing insights into forest governance in Switzerland, and showcases of experience from the Congo Basin, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Vietnam. The workshop was in direct follow-up to a 5-day workshop in Punakha, Bhutan in September 2008 that was hosted by the same working group, and organised by Helvetas.

The participants identified a number of major challenges and promising approaches in forest governance in developing and transition countries, based on experience gained in bilateral projects and multilateral processes. They also provided recommendations for the development of future Swiss-supported interventions in forest governance in the South and East through bilateral programmes and multilateral processes.

A publication summarising the main output of the two workshops in Punakha and Interlaken is planned. Further details in this respect may be obtained from: foren@intercooperation.ch

Please click here to read a news article - only available in German - that appeared in the Swiss press, describing the topic of the field excursion and giving further information about the workshop discussions.