Enviro News Asia, Seoul — The Korea Forest Service (KFS) has strengthened international cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to enhance forest biodiversity and support global restoration efforts, particularly in developing countries.
The cooperation was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) on 23 January 2026. The agreement reinforces the long-standing partnership between the Republic of Korea and the CBD in advancing forest ecosystem restoration aligned with global biodiversity targets.
FERI was originally launched in 2014 as a joint initiative between KFS and the CBD during the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12) in Pyeongchang. The initiative aims to strengthen technical and policy capacities in developing countries to plan and implement forest ecosystem restoration programs, contributing to international biodiversity commitments, including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Over the past decade, FERI has delivered various capacity-building activities, including field-based forest restoration projects, technical workshops, online training courses, and the development of decision-support tools for restoration planning. These efforts have supported countries in improving forest management practices and restoring degraded forest landscapes.
Under the newly signed MoU, KFS and the CBD agreed to expand the scope of cooperation to include forest biodiversity conservation. Planned activities include research on the designation of protected forest areas in developing countries, seed conservation initiatives, and other biodiversity-related actions aimed at strengthening ecosystem resilience.
The Secretariat of the CBD acknowledged the Republic of Korea’s continued leadership in international environmental cooperation, particularly in addressing global biodiversity and ecosystem challenges through sustained institutional partnerships.
KFS reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to global forest restoration and biodiversity conservation efforts, emphasizing the importance of long-term collaboration in supporting sustainable development and environmental protection worldwide. (*)
