On 17 September 2026, the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the APFNet Secretariat in Beijing, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation in forest science, sustainable forest management and knowledge exchange.

Dr. Wang Chunfeng, Executive Director of APFNet, and Prof. Daniela Kleinschmit, President of IUFRO, signed the MoU after a meeting with representatives of the two organizations and the Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF).

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged updates on their priorities and discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation further. The discussion highlighted the complementary strengths of APFNet’s regional partnerships, mechanisms, and field-based activities and IUFRO’s global scientific network and expertise.

The renewed MoU is accompanied by an Indicative Activity Plan, which identifies four main areas for future cooperation: capacity development and institutional strengthening; field demonstration and innovation for sustainable forest management; regional policy dialogue and coordination; and knowledge management, communication and outreach.

Potential activities include supporting early- and mid-career forest scientists to participate in scientific conferences and undertake short scientific visits; organizing regional knowledge-sharing workshops; facilitating stronger science-policy dialogue; and developing scientific assessments, policy briefs and other knowledge products.

The two organizations also identified opportunities to strengthen exchanges through their respective networks and major events, including IUFRO scientific meetings and APFNet regional platforms, as well as cooperation on forest-related communication and outreach.

The renewal of the MoU marks a new phase of the APFNet–IUFRO partnership, providing a framework to translate shared priorities into practical cooperation and further connect forest science, policy, and practice in the Asia-Pacific region.