REC Caucasus launched a two-day closure conference December 5 on its EU funded project “Fostering Community Forestry Policy and Practice in Mountain Regions of the Caucasus” in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The conference brought together 50 participants, with representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, national project implementing teams, other forestry related key national and regional stakeholders as well as international organizations and donors among them.

The regional conference aimed to outline current needs and interests of the stakeholders from the project countries, provide the representatives of international organizations and donors with project results, main outcomes, best practices and lessons learned as well as exchange experience on Community Forest Management, sustainable forest management and biodiversity protection in the South Caucasus countries. The main objective of the conference was to provide final results and achievements of the project including awareness raising activities, legal and policy recommendations on community forestry, capacity building trainings, development of Community Forest Management Plans and packages of relevant recommendations to existing national legislation and implemented reforestation/afforestation activities, REC Caucasus press service reported,