APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry 2026: Regional cooperation for resilient forest ecosystems

From 27-28 July, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri attended the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in Shenzhen, China.

Under the theme "Towards an Asia-Pacific region with enhanced forest resilience for the well-being of all," Viet Nam reaffirmed its consistent orientation in implementing the National Forestry Development Strategy.

Sharing Viet Nam’s experience in sustainable forest management, enhancing the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change, and promoting ecological well-being, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri affirmed: "Forests are not only natural resources but also the most important ecological infrastructure for ensuring environmental security, water security, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and green economic development."

Viet Nam has consistently identified sustainable forest management as the most fundamental, long-term, and effective solution to developing healthy forests with the capacity for self-recovery, climate resilience, and continued provision of essential ecosystem services for people.

Policies being advanced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment include the strict protection of existing forest areas, sustainable forest management, expansion of sustainably certified forest areas, and the development of legal, transparent, and responsible timber supply chains.

At the same time, Viet Nam is prioritizing the restoration of natural forest ecosystems, particularly watershed forests, mangrove forests, coastal forests, and high conservation value ecosystems, to strengthen resilience against natural disasters and climate change. The country is also accelerating the application of science, technology, and digital transformation in forest resource monitoring, forest fire early warning, forest change tracking, and modern forestry governance.

Viet Nam has effectively implemented the forest environmental services payment policy, creating a stable financial source for forest protection and improving the livelihoods of millions of people in mountainous areas. The country is also promoting the development of non-timber forest products, medicinal plants, ecotourism, carbon credits, and forest-based economic models to enhance the multiple values of forests.

"Ecological well-being is not only about a healthy living environment, but also about ensuring equitable development opportunities, sustainable livelihoods, and a better quality of life for all people. Viet Nam is gradually shifting from a mindset of 'forest protection' to 'forest ecosystem governance', moving from extracting individual values to simultaneously promoting the economic, ecological, cultural, and social values of forests," Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri emphasized.

Within the framework of cooperation, partners need to place stronger focus on four priorities: sharing knowledge, science, and technology to enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems; promoting green finance, carbon credits, and long-term investment mechanisms for forest conservation and restoration; strengthening research cooperation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable management of transboundary ecosystems; and developing legal, transparent, responsible, and internationally compliant forest product supply chains that can adapt to emerging global trade requirements.