Extending over 624 million hectares (ha), covering 20.6 percent of the continent’s land area and representing 15.6 percent of the world’s forest cover, Africa’s forests have a unique role in contributing to the attainment of the aspirations of the Agenda 2063, the Africa We Want. This is a picture of a prosperous continent with the means to drive its own development through the sustainable, long-term stewardship of its resources.

African forests are crucial at regional and global scales for maintaining environmental quality and stability. They provide globally important ecosystem services and are indispensable for the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals including SDG1, SDG2, SDG 13, SDG14 and SDG15. Furthermore, Sustainable Forest Management also contributes towards the realization of the global objectives of the United Nations Forum on Forests and those of other global and regional forest related frameworks and instruments.