Forest is an essential resource and people are the greatest asset. AFoCO places great value in empowering people as it engages diverse stakeholders ranging from government officials to local people and students of different ages groups. Through more effective empowerment, application of appropriate tools, resource management, and processes, we can provide enabling conditions to make most out of existing forestry knowledge and experiences.
AFoCO established the Regional Education and Training Center (RETC) in Yangon, Myanmar, to function as a hub for capacity building and knowledge sharing in forestry.
In 2019, AFoCO organized 40 training courses. The courses benefitted around 650 government officials (63% men, 37% women) from Member Countries, more than 3,000 local people (49% men, 51% women) including children, and 612 researchers and students in customized training courses (60% men, 40% women). Some of our training courses are organized in partnership with international partners such as ITTO and RECOFTC. Several international organizations such as FAO, IUCN, as well as universities are also exploring the implementation of joint training courses to be organized at the RETC. *numbers reflected are in terms of man days
To foster young forestry professionals in Member Countries, AFoCO, through the Landmark Program, supports the graduate studies at universities in Korea. So far, out of the 19 scholarship recipients in the program, 10 have successfully graduated and returned to work at forestry departments in their home countries. The young leaders will contribute significantly to sustainable forest management at both the national and the regional levels and are regarded as invaluable assets to the future of forests in Asia. READ MORE
The AFoCO Fellowship Program is another initiative that provides young and promising forestry practitioners of AFoCO Member Countries with the opportunity to work at the Secretariat and coordinate and engage in international cooperation activities and projects. As of 2019, 11 fellow officials have participated in the program. This year, 3 officials from Bhutan, Cambodia, and Viet Nam are undertaking the program. READ MORE
Science and technology are the building blocks of successful forest rehabilitation and management. Recognizing this, AFoCO created the Science and Technology Exchange Partnership (STEP) Program last year. The STEP Program is a long-term training program aiming to provide researchers from Member Countries with opportunities to partake in research immersion experiences in relevant institutes in Korea. In 2019, five researchers from the members completed the 2019 STEP Program at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum and gained valuable insight about seed and genetic resource management in the Republic of Korea. READ MORE
AFoCO remains firmly committed to adding value to capacity development activities and looks forward to resuming its regular schedule of educational and training programs as soon as the pandemic is contained.
