AFoCO believes in inclusive engagement to ensure sustained multilateral cooperation and the delivery of positive impacts through our projects and initiatives. We have forged long-term partnerships with international organizations, private sector entities, and research institutions and universities through partnership agreements as well as engagement in fora, dialogues, and meetings. AFoCO is open to and continues to seek opportunities for collaboration and resource mobilization to expand our portfolio of activities in line with our strategic priorities.
The Assembly recognizes that the participation of various countries and entities complements the organization’s actions by providing access to new knowledge, expertise, financing, and broad networks – resources that are critical to advancing the organization’s work. The Sixth Session of the Assembly endorsed D-41-V-21R-ADD-1 Rules of Procedures for Partners Countries and Partner Organizations of AFoCO.
AFoCO’s accreditations include the following:
- The UN General Assembly granted observer status to AFoCO on 15 December 2020. (UN Resolution A/RES/75/149)
- The Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP) accredited AFoCO as a partner international organization on 2 September 2019. (ICCD/COP(14)/15)
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) accredited AFoCO on 6 October 2021 for participation at the Conference of the Parties to CBD and related meetings.
- UN Framework Convention on Climate Change admitted AFoCO as Observer Intergovernmental Organization on 6 November 2022 at the 27th Session of the Conference of Parties. (FCCC/CP/2022/7)
- The Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration granted membership to AFoCO on 11 November 2020.
- AFoCO has been included in the ODA-eligible international organizations under the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 2021 reporting on 2020 ODA flows.
- Following AFoCO’s adhesion letter to the Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry (FTA) Partnership which is led by CIFOR-ICRAF on May 19 May 2022, AFoCO is participating as Associated Partner of the FTA Partnership.
- AFoCO became an Observer Intergovernmental Organization of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in November 2022.
- AFoCO became an official Supporting Partner of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 on 22 August 2022. AFoCO is co-leading the Climate Restoration Challenge of the Decade’s Action Plan.
- AFoCO was accepted as a member of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) on 20 October 2023.
The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where forestry and landscapes enhance the environment and well-being for all. CIFOR-ICRAF are non-profit, scientific institutions that conduct research on the most pressing challenges of forest and landscape management around the world. Using a global, multidisciplinary approach, the aim is to improve human well-being, protect the environment, and increase equity. Their work focuses on innovative research, developing partners’ capacity, and actively engaging in dialogue with all stakeholders to inform policies and practices that affect forests and people. Their work spans the globe, with expertise in the ‘global South’. Founded in 1993 and 1978 respectively, CIFOR-ICRAF are members of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
GIZ is a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
Dream Sharing is a social cooperative (nonprofit corporation) founded in 2017 in the Republic of Korea. One of Dream Sharing’s aim is to help people lead happier lives by developing their capacities and organizing livelihood improvement and reforestation activities.
The Forest Aviation Headquarters, a division of the Korea Forest Service, is mainly responsible for the management of forest disasters such as forest fires and forest pest and disease outbreaks to protect national forests and the public. The Headquarters responds to disasters and provides relief services all year round.
The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.
The Graduate School of International Agricultural
Technology (GSIAT) of Seoul National University was established with the vision of pursuing R&D in the green bio industry and creating value through professional services, heading to the improvement of life of both the national and global communities.
The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is an intergovernmental organization promoting the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests.
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is a non-profit global organization and the leading network for forest science cooperation with the mission to advance research excellence and knowledge sharing, and to foster the development of science-based solutions to forest-related challenges for the benefit of forests and people on all levels. It unites 15,000 researchers in over 125 countries.
The Korea Arboreta and Garden Institute (KoAGI) is dedicated to the management of arboretums, gardens, and plant diversity conservation. KoAGI also provides scientific and technical consultations in plant conservation and seed collection activities, and conducts short – and long-term training and education programs in the field of seed conservation.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) is a state agency with the overall responsibility for the establishment and implementation of forest policies and laws. With its 5 bureaus, 25 divisions, 4 head office teams, and 11 affiliated agencies, the KFS manages and administers state forests in the Republic of Korea, and aims to promote five main agendas — devising a forest management system for mutual prosperity, creating quality jobs and enhancing the vitality of forest industries, securing sustainable growth engines in forestry, establishing healthy forest ecosystems and safe forests, and enhancing the inclusivity of forest welfare for everyone. The KFS also advances international and inter-Korean forest cooperation with people, peace, and mutual prosperity.
The Korea Forest Welfare Institute (FoWI) is a public organization under the Korea Forest Service, which was established in 2016 based on the Forest Welfare Promotion Act (Article 49) to meet the growing demand of the people for forest welfare. FoWI is faithfully carrying out the following high-quality forest welfare projects to improve people’s health and quality of life.
The Korea Forestry Promotion Institute (KoFPI) was established as a semi-governmental agency of South Korea to promote the industrialization and commercialization of forest science technologies, increase the income of persons working in the forestry business, and add value to the forestry and forest industry.
The Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) has been established since 2006 as a public agency affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea to honor the late Dr. Lee Jong-wook (6th Director General of the WHO). Since then, the foundation has provided government-level healthcare assistance for developing partner countries, North Korea, overseas Koreans, migrant workers residing in Korea, and people in disaster-stricken areas across the globe. For 12 years, KOFIH has put considerable effort to play its role commensurate with the raised reputation of Korea in the international community. The foundation has also provided specialized and systematic support to cope with healthcare issues in developing partner countries.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) aims to contribute to the advancement of international cooperation through various cooperative projects to promote friendly and cooperative relationships and mutual exchanges between the Republic of Korea and developing countries and achieve poverty reduction, improvement of the quality of life, sustainable development, and humanitarianism of developing countries.
The Korea-Mekong Forest Cooperation Center (KMFCC) was established by the Korea Forest Service and the Forestry Administration of the Kingdom of Cambodia to bridge the cooperation with Mekong basin countries on forest plantation investment, providing support for Korean forest investment companies and establishing a cooperative network by operating a forest policy council.
The Korea National Arboretum (KNA) provides forest environmental education in terms of research, collection, classification and conservation of Korean forest biospecies. The KNA is also committed to conservation along with restoration of rare and native plants, promotion of useful plant resources research as well as related technology development, designing and management of thematic gardens, forest bio species and forest culture.
Established in 2018, Must Games is a budding startup games development company specializing in strategy games. The primary objective of Must Games is to develop games to contribute to addressing global issues, primarily climate change through environmental advocacy both in games and reality.
Since it started as the Forestry Experiment Station on August 23, 1922, the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) has steadily conducted various researches on forest, forestry and wood industry as the sole national research institute under the Korea Forest Service, with an objective to develop and disseminate forest science and technology for people’s wellbeing, healthy environment and global forestation, leading the green growth.
OJEong Resilience Institute (OJERI) functions as the center of the Asia resilience research network. Based in Korea University, the main objectives of the OJERI are to promote research and education on disaster resilience and sustainable development, provide policy recommendations, develop educational programs, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and facilitate international cooperation.
SK Forest Co. Ltd. is a Korean private company which envisions to revitalize private forestry owners to generate income by enhancing eoosystem services in a systainable way. It was established in the early 1974 in a spirit of “To grow trees is to love your country” by the late Mr. Choi Jong-hyeon, a founder of SK Group, one of top-ranked Korean conglomerate. Its key business domains include afforestation, carbon business, forest survey and forest management planning, forest engineering and landscaping. More recently, its focus is expanding to establishing a platfor for carbon reduction and ESG management by SK Group and contribution to the achievement of their Net-Zero Commitment by 2050 minus alpha.
The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) is the only non-profit organization with more than 30 years of experience working with people and forests, and has built trusting relationships with partners at all levels. RECOFTC believes in a future where people live equitably and sustainably in and beside healthy, resilient forests. RECOFTC takes a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to support local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equity.
Woori Financial Group was founded on Woori Bank, which was established with funds from the royal treasury in 1899. The Group is a Seoul-based banking and financial services holdings company, and also one of the four largest domestic banks in the Republic of Korea. In 2021, Woori Financial Group pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and provide ESG-related financing.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum (BDNA)is an affiliated organization under the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute, which was established on May 17, 2017, to increase biodiversity through collection, conservation, exhibition, and use of biological resources in the Baekdudaegan and high mountains and provide various services for viewing, education, and experience.
Since early 2012, the Global EverGreening Alliance has brought together leading research, technical and development organizations. The Alliance harnesses collective energies and builds on the shared vision to restore degraded land and improve the sustainability, profitability and reliability of smallholders’ farming systems. The Alliance provides a collaborative platform to support and facilitate massive-scale environmental restoration and sustainable agricultural intensification projects, increasing biodiversity, and both mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change on a globally significant scale.
The Korea Association of Forest Enviro-Conservation Technology (KAFET) is an institution that supports erosion control technology and international technology exchange; field survey & research, evaluate, and diagnose landslide and debris flow prevention works; contribute to educating and promoting erosion control policies.
Camerata Salzburg joins hands with AFoCO to combat climate change for a Greener Asia.
AFoCO is pleased to welcome CAMERATA SALZBURG, an acclaimed chamber orchestra based in Salzburg, Austria, as our Goodwill Ambassador. It is encouraging that an orchestra with such a rich history is supporting AFoCO’s vision. We are excited to see more of the prestigious orchestra’s work and we look forward to this unique opportunity to reach out to classical music enthusiasts and help raise awareness on forest-related issues and climate change to work towards achieving sustainable development in Asia and beyond.
Since its foundation in 1952, the Austrian chamber orchestra has performed with world-renowned musicians such as Anne-Sophie Matter, Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell, and Lang Lang, to mention a few. The orchestra is regularly invited to perform at the Salzburg Music Festival.
The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where forestry and landscapes enhance the environment and well-being for all. CIFOR-ICRAF are non-profit, scientific institutions that conduct research on the most pressing challenges of forest and landscape management around the world. Using a global, multidisciplinary approach, the aim is to improve human well-being, protect the environment, and increase equity. Their work focuses on innovative research, developing partners’ capacity, and actively engaging in dialogue with all stakeholders to inform policies and practices that affect forests and people. Their work spans the globe, with expertise in the ‘global South’. Founded in 1993 and 1978 respectively, CIFOR-ICRAF are members of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.
GIZ is a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
Dream Sharing is a social cooperative (nonprofit corporation) founded in 2017 in the Republic of Korea. One of Dream Sharing’s aim is to help people lead happier lives by developing their capacities and organizing livelihood improvement and reforestation activities.
The Forest Aviation Headquarters, a division of the Korea Forest Service, is mainly responsible for the management of forest disasters such as forest fires and forest pest and disease outbreaks to protect national forests and the public. The Headquarters responds to disasters and provides relief services all year round.
The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.
The Graduate School of International Agricultural
Technology (GSIAT) of Seoul National University was established with the vision of pursuing R&D in the green bio industry and creating value through professional services, heading to the improvement of life of both the national and global communities.
The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) is an intergovernmental organization promoting the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests.
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is a non-profit global organization and the leading network for forest science cooperation with the mission to advance research excellence and knowledge sharing, and to foster the development of science-based solutions to forest-related challenges for the benefit of forests and people on all levels. It unites 15,000 researchers in over 125 countries.
The Korea Arboreta and Garden Institute (KoAGI) is dedicated to the management of arboretums, gardens, and plant diversity conservation. KoAGI also provides scientific and technical consultations in plant conservation and seed collection activities, and conducts short – and long-term training and education programs in the field of seed conservation.
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) is a state agency with the overall responsibility for the establishment and implementation of forest policies and laws. With its 5 bureaus, 25 divisions, 4 head office teams, and 11 affiliated agencies, the KFS manages and administers state forests in the Republic of Korea, and aims to promote five main agendas — devising a forest management system for mutual prosperity, creating quality jobs and enhancing the vitality of forest industries, securing sustainable growth engines in forestry, establishing healthy forest ecosystems and safe forests, and enhancing the inclusivity of forest welfare for everyone. The KFS also advances international and inter-Korean forest cooperation with people, peace, and mutual prosperity.
The Korea Forest Welfare Institute (FoWI) is a public organization under the Korea Forest Service, which was established in 2016 based on the Forest Welfare Promotion Act (Article 49) to meet the growing demand of the people for forest welfare. FoWI is faithfully carrying out the following high-quality forest welfare projects to improve people’s health and quality of life.
The Korea Forestry Promotion Institute (KoFPI) was established as a semi-governmental agency of South Korea to promote the industrialization and commercialization of forest science technologies, increase the income of persons working in the forestry business, and add value to the forestry and forest industry.
The Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) has been established since 2006 as a public agency affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea to honor the late Dr. Lee Jong-wook (6th Director General of the WHO). Since then, the foundation has provided government-level healthcare assistance for developing partner countries, North Korea, overseas Koreans, migrant workers residing in Korea, and people in disaster-stricken areas across the globe. For 12 years, KOFIH has put considerable effort to play its role commensurate with the raised reputation of Korea in the international community. The foundation has also provided specialized and systematic support to cope with healthcare issues in developing partner countries.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) aims to contribute to the advancement of international cooperation through various cooperative projects to promote friendly and cooperative relationships and mutual exchanges between the Republic of Korea and developing countries and achieve poverty reduction, improvement of the quality of life, sustainable development, and humanitarianism of developing countries.
The Korea-Mekong Forest Cooperation Center (KMFCC) was established by the Korea Forest Service and the Forestry Administration of the Kingdom of Cambodia to bridge the cooperation with Mekong basin countries on forest plantation investment, providing support for Korean forest investment companies and establishing a cooperative network by operating a forest policy council.
The Korea National Arboretum (KNA) provides forest environmental education in terms of research, collection, classification and conservation of Korean forest biospecies. The KNA is also committed to conservation along with restoration of rare and native plants, promotion of useful plant resources research as well as related technology development, designing and management of thematic gardens, forest bio species and forest culture.
Established in 2018, Must Games is a budding startup games development company specializing in strategy games. The primary objective of Must Games is to develop games to contribute to addressing global issues, primarily climate change through environmental advocacy both in games and reality.
Since it started as the Forestry Experiment Station on August 23, 1922, the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) has steadily conducted various researches on forest, forestry and wood industry as the sole national research institute under the Korea Forest Service, with an objective to develop and disseminate forest science and technology for people’s wellbeing, healthy environment and global forestation, leading the green growth.
OJEong Resilience Institute (OJERI) functions as the center of the Asia resilience research network. Based in Korea University, the main objectives of the OJERI are to promote research and education on disaster resilience and sustainable development, provide policy recommendations, develop educational programs, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and facilitate international cooperation.
SK Forest Co. Ltd. is a Korean private company which envisions to revitalize private forestry owners to generate income by enhancing eoosystem services in a systainable way. It was established in the early 1974 in a spirit of “To grow trees is to love your country” by the late Mr. Choi Jong-hyeon, a founder of SK Group, one of top-ranked Korean conglomerate. Its key business domains include afforestation, carbon business, forest survey and forest management planning, forest engineering and landscaping. More recently, its focus is expanding to establishing a platfor for carbon reduction and ESG management by SK Group and contribution to the achievement of their Net-Zero Commitment by 2050 minus alpha.
The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) is the only non-profit organization with more than 30 years of experience working with people and forests, and has built trusting relationships with partners at all levels. RECOFTC believes in a future where people live equitably and sustainably in and beside healthy, resilient forests. RECOFTC takes a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to support local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equity.
Woori Financial Group was founded on Woori Bank, which was established with funds from the royal treasury in 1899. The Group is a Seoul-based banking and financial services holdings company, and also one of the four largest domestic banks in the Republic of Korea. In 2021, Woori Financial Group pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and provide ESG-related financing.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum (BDNA)is an affiliated organization under the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute, which was established on May 17, 2017, to increase biodiversity through collection, conservation, exhibition, and use of biological resources in the Baekdudaegan and high mountains and provide various services for viewing, education, and experience.
Since early 2012, the Global EverGreening Alliance has brought together leading research, technical and development organizations. The Alliance harnesses collective energies and builds on the shared vision to restore degraded land and improve the sustainability, profitability and reliability of smallholders’ farming systems. The Alliance provides a collaborative platform to support and facilitate massive-scale environmental restoration and sustainable agricultural intensification projects, increasing biodiversity, and both mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change on a globally significant scale.
The Korea Association of Forest Enviro-Conservation Technology (KAFET) is an institution that supports erosion control technology and international technology exchange; field survey & research, evaluate, and diagnose landslide and debris flow prevention works; contribute to educating and promoting erosion control policies.
Ecosystem restoration is a complex task and transcends across sectors. AFoCO is proud to be a Supporting Partner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN Decade). As a part of #GenerationRestoration, AFoCO will join other international and civil organizations in building evidence-based recommendations for the UN Decade and reach out into new sectors and communities.
