The 3rd Inter-Parliamentary Hearing on Forests for People’ was convened by the World Future Council with the support of the Parliament of Kenya, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Natural Resources of Kenya, the FAO Regional Office for Africa, and the Green Belt Movement, in Nairobi, Kenya, from 30 September – 3 October, 2014.  16 Parliamentarians from Eastern and Southern African countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as key civil society actors and high level experts on forest policies attended. AFF was represented by the Executive Secretary, Prof Godwin Kowero.
The meeting discussed options to halt and reverse the plight of forests in Africa. This was done through three key themes: Landscape management: experiences, opportunities and challenges (Chaired by Dr Luc Gnacadja, former Executive Secretary of UNCCD); African forest policies: spreading lessons from policy and practice (Chaired by AFF Executive Secretary, Prof Godwin Kowero); and Forests for people: focus area food (Chaired by Mr Peter Gondo-AFF Governing Council member).  At the end of the meeting, legislators made several recommendations aimed at supporting natural resources of land, water and forests. The commitments contained in the “Nairobi Declaration” and signed at the end of the meeting, recognized the importance of forests and their usefulness to the environment.
By the Declaration, participants avowed their continued commitment to pass and implement policies supported by robust programmes on forest conservation and rehabilitation of already degraded lands. Mobilization of their constituents, to ensure multi-stakeholder involvement in tree planting and growing, together with the rehabilitation of landscapes, was a strategy put forward and to be promoted by the parliamentarians.