On 30 June 2026, — The Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) co-hosted an informational webinar to introduce the GEF-8 Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Integrated Programme (SEAP Forest IP). The session officially marked the opening of the SEAP FIT Coalition Call-for-Projects (CfP), tailored specifically for AFoCO Country Members participating as part of the SEAP FIT network.
The webinar, conducted via Zoom, brought together designated SEAP AFoCO Country Members and AFoCO Secretariat officials to explore strategic funding avenues aimed at safeguarding high-integrity forest biomes across the region. Twenty people from eight member Countries, AFoCO SEAP Country Fellows, the Strategic Planning Team, and Dr. Junghwan Park were in attendance.
The training commenced with opening remarks by Dr. Jungwan Park, Senior Project Manager at AFoCO, who emphasized the significance of collaborative platforms in addressing transboundary environmental challenges. Following the opening, Dr. Hannah Suh of AFoCO delivered a comprehensive introduction on “AFoCO as a SEAP Forests Investment & Technical (FIT) Partner,” highlighting AFoCO’s evolving institutional role within regional financing frameworks.
The core technical session, titled “SEAP FIT Coalition Call-for-Projects,” was presented by Mr. Lee Wei Hsien, Senior Technical Officer for Finance and Economics for Nature at IUCN. Mr. Lee detailed the operational guidelines, project design expectations, and strategic funding objectives driving the coalition’s latest initiatives.
What is SEAP FIT and its Call-for-Projects?
The Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Investment & Technical Partners (SEAP FIT) Coalition was created to catalyze public, private and philanthropic partnerships to mobilize forest financing at scale; shape investment-ready project pipelines; influence enabling forest policy frameworks; and co-develop a regional capacity building roadmap for primary forest protection and restoration, sustainable agriculture, and commodity value chains.
The first GEF-8 SEAP FIT Coalition Call-for-Projects (CfP) is now open for projects for primary forests’ restoration and protection. Applicants from all eligible countries of the GEF-8 SEAP Forests Integrated Programme are welcome to submit: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
GEF-8 Focus on Primary Forests and Regional Eligibility
The first GEF-8 SEAP FIT Coalition Call-for-Projects focuses primarily on the restoration and protection of primary forests. As part of the GEF-8 Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Program, primary forests are prioritized globally because they store significantly more carbon than secondary forests, possess irreplaceable biodiversity value, maintain critical ecosystem water services, and safeguard the livelihoods of IPLCs.
This program works alongside 5 global Critical Forest Biomes IPs, which include the Amazon, Congo, West Africa, Meso-America, and Southeast Asia and the Pacific (formerly designated as Indo-Malaya). These initiatives ensure enhanced global recognition of ecosystems with high ecological integrity within broader international climate and biodiversity processes.
Through this joint information session, AFoCO and IUCN continue to strengthen regional institutional capacity, ensuring that member states are equipped to develop rigorous, high-impact project pipelines that actively leverage international climate finance.
Contributed by Dr. Hannah Suh (Program Officer) and Mr. Rujira Sassana (Fellowship Official)