The Asian Forest Cooperation Organization, or AFoCO, was inaugurated last week, becoming the first organization in the region to deal with cooperation among member nations on issues related to forestry.

The inauguration was made after the Governing Council held the first board session dealing with the agreement on cooperation in the field of forestry in Seoul last week.

The council endorsed the proposal to establish the secretariat of AFoCO and regulations on how to operate the administrative group.

The council meeting was held before the two-day Special ASEAN-Korea Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in Seoul.

AFoCO was established to contribute to the region’s sustainable development through green growth by enhancing cooperative responses to pending issues in Asia such as climate change and desertification.

The regional forestry organization started with 11 members: Korea and ASEAN member states ― Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei.

But Seoul officials said AFoCO would seek to grow by inviting countries in northeast and central Asia.

The AFoCO secretariat will be based in Yeouido, Seoul’s financial district, and it will be composed of experts on forestry from Korea and ASEAN member countries, according to the officials. The first secretary-general of AFoCO will soon be appointed by the Governing Council.

The forestry organization will be operated with $5 million in funding and plans to establish its sub offices in major member states, which will supervise and promote cooperative projects.

As its first pilot project, AFoCO will push to restore the ecological system in forestry with the help of member states, the officials said.

The trial project will be implemented in the Mekong River area from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and the “BIMPS” area of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. The $1 million project will run for two years.

The second project is related to a program aimed at enhancing participation by local residents to respond to forestry resources research and climate change. The project will be led by Indonesia and last two years, with $2 million in funding.

By Lee Kwon-hyung (kwonh@heraldcorp.com)