23 June 2026 – Dr. Wang Chunfeng, Executive Director of the APFNet, and Will McGoldrick, Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Asia Pacific division, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, marking a new chapter in their strategic partnership.

Under the MoU, the two organizations will draw on their respective resources and strengths to work together on sustainable forest management, landscape restoration, nature‑based solutions, and climate mitigation. Also, focus of cooperation areas include strengthening regional capacity‑building and technical exchanges, supporting government agencies, practitioners, and local communities in meeting global climate goals and regional forestry targets. Joint research, demonstration projects, policy dialogues, knowledge sharing, and coordinated participation in regional and international events will form the core of their future collaboration.

Executive Director Wang noted that APFNet’s Fourth Strategic Plan (2026‑2030) aligns closely with TNC’s conservation priorities in the Asia‑Pacific. He recognized TNC’s technical expertise in conservation, community engagement, and climate change response, which can help implement the Plan. He also provided an update on the progress of APFNet’s Knowledge Management Center and discussed TNC’s projects in Indonesia and Mongolia, exchanging views on stakeholder coordination, technology applications, and partnership models with the private sector.

Will McGoldrick highlighted APFNet as a key platform for forest governance in the region. He expressed TNC’s hopes to scale up its tools and practices through this partnership, contributing to regional ecological security and better livelihoods for local communities. He stressed that nature‑based solutions offer a win‑win approach to conservation and development, and that the cooperation aims to create a replicable model for multi‑stakeholder innovation in global forest governance.

APFNet and TNC have collaborated for over a decade. TNC has been a Council member of APFNet since its early days, providing technical support through the TNC‑RAFT program and expert inputs. This new MOU builds on that common ground and broadens the scope of their engagement.