The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) says it will be hosting Liberia’s National Forest Forum (NFF) 2025 from November 3-5, 2025, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia. The 3-day forum will be held under the theme: “Leveraging Liberia’s Forest for Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability.”
In a press release issued late yesterday, FDA said the main objective of the forum is to enhance partnership and affirm commitments to sustainable forest management within the country. According to the release, the forum will serve as a platform to highlight FDA’s accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned within the forest sector since the last forest forum was held in 2023.
The Managing Director of the FDA, Rudolph J. Merab, Sr. will deliver a special statement which will set the scene for the forum and formally welcome delegates during the opening ceremony on Monday (Day 1). His statement will include a concise overview of the forest sector highlighting progress made, challenges, and FDA’s vision for the future.
His Excellency, President Joseph N. Boakai is expected to grace the occasion and make an opening statement which will highlight the sector’s importance to national development and encourage delegates to reflect on the challenges faced and propose a clear pathway forward.
The forum will be attended by both international and national delegates from the World Bank, African Development Bank, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (UKAID), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), European Union, as well as guests from the forestry sectors in Guyana, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. Other delegates expected at the forum include, but not limited to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Liberia Land Authority (LLA), the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Since the end of the civil war in 2003 and the subsequent lifting of the United Nations backed sanctions on timber, Liberia has made significant gains in forest governance by enacting the 2006 National Forest Reform Law (NFRL), the 2009 Community Rights Law (CRL) and the 2018 Land Rights Act (LRA). Central to this progress is the adoption of “four C’s” framework: Community Forestry, Conservation, Forest Carbon and Commercial Forestry that guides the FDA in the execution of its mandate.
The forum will review the status of the forestry sector in the wake of the proposed VPA cancellation, as well as the transition to Forest Partnership, and the effective implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The forum will also offer an opportunity to reflect on strategies to improve inter-sectoral coordination in implementing the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) to strengthen various work streams contributing to the realization of the relevant conventions that Liberia has signed, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
The forum will not be open to the public. Approximately 150 delegates are expected to be part of the forum representing all relevant stakeholders.
The expected outcome of the forum is the realization of a forestry sector that is well positioned to serve as a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic development, resulting from:
- a) Increased revenue and income from sustainable forest management
- b) Effective management of current and future Protected Areas
- c) Improved sharing of benefits from forest use
- d) Improved coordination and collaboration among government agencies and stakeholders with mandates that impact the forest sector.