The Eighth Meetings of APFNet Council and Board of Directors were held in Phuket, Thailand from 15-17 May 2024. The events, held in a hybrid format, were hosted by the Royal Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand.

Representatives from 17 member economies and organizations attended the Council Meeting on 15 May. Mr. Nishatha Edirisinghe, Sri Lanka, was elected as the new Vice-chair to support the Council work. Under its capacity, the Council heard Secretariat’s report of APFNet’s work 2023 and workplan for 2024, agreed on the amendment  of APFNet Operational Framework, and endorsed the renewal of Project Appraisal Panel for term 2024-2026.

As an important platform for regional exchanges and cooperation, the Council Meeting welcomed sharing of lessons learned and experiences on managing and evaluating APFNet-funded projects in Cambodia and Indonesia, which aroused heated discussions on regional forestry policies and program interventions.

At the Meeting of APFNet Board of Directors, held on 17 May, the Board membership for Ms. Margaret M. Calderon and Ms. Novia Widyaningtyas was extended to 2027, and Mr. Di Donghui, China, was introduced as a new Board member appointed by the host economy of APFNet.

The Meeting was concluded with Board's approval of  (1) the proposed APFNet work plan and budget for 2024; (2) amendment  of the Article 3.3 (a) of APFNet Operational Framework to “Contribute to the achievement of regional and global forest-related goals and those of its member economies.", so as to enable APFNet's long-term objective adaptive to changing contexts; (3) renewal of APFNet Project Appraisal Panel 2024–2026; and (4) modification the Procedures for Selection and Appointment of APFNet Executive Director. 

Between the Meetings, participants took the opportunity and visited Sai Yuan and Pha Hin Dum (Black Cliff) Community Forests.

The APFNet Board and Council will convene for the Ninth Meetings in 2025 in Viet Nam.