Motion 072

The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) aims to provide a comprehensive and innovative blueprint for legislators, policymakers, and other stakeholders in designing a modern legal framework for the protection, conservation, restoration, and ecologically sustainable management and use of forests, with a particular focus on native forests and vegetation. This initiative comes at a critical time when forests worldwide face unprecedented threats from deforestation, degradation, and climate change, while also playing a crucial role in mitigating these very challenges.
The Model Forest Act uses a systematic, interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder, and evidence-informed approach to design model legislative text that can be applied and tailored to country-specific contexts. It addresses the urgent need to update and harmonize forest governance frameworks globally, recognizing that many existing laws were developed before the full extent of global environmental crises was understood. By providing a comprehensive legal framework, the Model Forest Act seeks to bridge the gap between outdated forest management practices and modern environmental principles, scientific advancements, and international commitments.
The Act incorporates key elements such as ecosystem-based approaches, recognition of the intrinsic value of forests, and the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. It also addresses emerging challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and water insecurity. By adopting or adapting the Model Forest Act, states can strengthen their forest protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable management efforts, aligning with global sustainability goals and enhancing their capacity to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.