8. Policies and legislation

An essential condition for SFM is that national policies identify sustainable development as an overall priority across sectors. This is particularly important for those sectors such as forestry dealing with renewable natural resources and competing for land. To be effective, policy development should be accompanied by legally binding instruments: the laws and regulations governing forest use and conservation must be consistent with policies and constitute the basis for their implementation.

National policies and legislation supporting SFM are in place in 192 countries and areas representing more than 95 percent of the global forest area (Figure 49). The highest coverage is in Africa, Asia and South America, with about 90 percent of countries and areas in each of those regions (54 countries and areas in Africa, 42 in Asia and 13 in South America) – representing about 48 percent of the global forest area – reporting that such national forest policies and legislation are in place (Figure 50). This high level of coverage is likely due partly to work in recent decades to develop policies and laws that formalize and better reflect customary practices in statutory instruments. It may also be due in part to efforts to integrate emerging issues such as climate change and gender into policies and laws with the aim of improving SFM and complying with international forest-related commitments.

Many Small Island States, such as the Marshall Islands and Nauru in Oceania, are yet to formally adopt national instruments aimed at protecting and sustainably using their forests because forest cover is small or SFM is not a priority. Overall, 52 percent of countries and areas (13 countries and areas) in Oceania have national policies and legislation in place to support SFM.

Among the 236 countries and areas, about 40 percent (98 countries and areas) indicated that they have not yet introduced subnational instruments regulating SFM. Some countries and areas (e.g. Guyana and Madagascar) commented that policies and laws supporting SFM are developed at the national level and then applied at the subnational and local levels, and some others (e.g. Singapore) reported that they lack subnational entities.

Stakeholders often have differing perspectives on, and interests in, forest resources. Participatory approaches that involve stakeholders help ensure that these perspectives are fully taken into account in decision-making on forests and that forest management and use better meet stakeholder needs. Multistakeholder platforms facilitate participatory processes and provide spaces for local stakeholders to engage in decision-making in the various facets of forest management, including policy development.

Of the 236 countries and areas reporting for FRA 2025, 64 percent (152 countries and areas representing almost 95 percent of the world’s forests) indicated that they have national platforms for stakeholder participation in forest policy development (Figure 51), including 85 percent of responding countries and areas in Africa (Figure 52). About 40 percent of countries and areas (95 countries and areas) indicated that they have subnational platforms, including 52 percent of responding countries and areas in Africa, 43 percent in South America and 32–38 percent in the other regions (Figure 53). Some countries and areas commented that, although there are no official platforms promoting stakeholder participation in the forest sector, competent institutions engage with a broad range of actors through various channels to inform national forest policies (e.g. the participatory development of the National Forest Restoration Plan in Paraguay).

Forest traceability is a growing global trend, with governments and consumers requiring reliable tracking of forest products sold with claims (such as on legality or sustainability), from their origin through supply chains to end users. Forest traceability can contribute to legal compliance, formalization and the suppression of illegal timber markets and promote transparency and due-diligence processes.

Of the 236 countries and areas, 102 (43 percent) – representing 77 percent of the global forest area – have established national traceability systems for wood products (Figure 54 and Figure 55). Forty-one countries and areas (17 percent) have developed subnational traceability systems (Figure 56).

Of the regions, South America has the highest percentage of national and subnational wood-product traceability systems in place (86 percent and 36 percent, respectively, of countries and areas in the region). About 50 percent of countries and areas in Europe and Africa have national traceability systems, and the percentages are lower in Asia (34 percent) and Oceania (12 percent).