ASEAN member states strengthen social forestry governance through regional knowledge sharing workshop

Representatives from across Southeast Asia gathered in Jakarta on 4 and 5 August to advance efforts to improve social forestry governance, with a focus on making legal frameworks more effective, transparent and inclusive for local communities. The regional workshop, organised by the ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF), RECOFTC Indonesia and ClientEarth, brought together government officials and forestry experts from all 11 ASEAN Member States to share experiences and strengthen implementation of social forestry policies.

Hosted by Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, the workshop centred on the ASEAN Guiding Principles for Effective Social Forestry Legal Frameworks (AGP), a regional framework developed in 2019 by ClientEarth and RECOFTC Indonesia in collaboration with AWG-SF. The principles are designed to strengthen the legal and institutional foundations of social forestry programmes across Southeast Asia, while improving access and participation for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in sustainable forest management.

Participants discussed national progress, implementation challenges and emerging best practices, with the aim of translating regional commitments into more effective action on the ground. Officials also exchanged practical lessons on governance, regulation and community engagement, helping identify solutions that can be adapted across different national contexts.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr Dian Sukmajaya from the ASEAN Secretariat highlighted the importance of stronger legal and policy frameworks to support sustainable forest management and social forestry development. He noted that enhanced institutional capacity, sustainable livelihoods and regional knowledge sharing are critical to improving forest governance, supporting biodiversity and climate goals, and ensuring meaningful community participation in forest resource management.

The workshop builds on a series of capacity-building initiatives supported by ClientEarth and RECOFTC Indonesia over the past several years. These include a 2024 regional workshop that identified priority areas for national implementation and a 2025 training programme in Indonesia aimed at strengthening the capacity of forestry agencies and addressing procedural challenges in the social forestry permitting process.

ClientEarth's Chief Programmes and Impact Officer Adam Weiss stated that the main objectives from the workshop was to encourage the sharing of experiences between countries in Southeast Asia in developing social forestry. Each country has different successes and challenges and there cannot be a one size fits all approach. Communities who are directly impacted by social forestry should be empowered to understand their rights, responsibilities and given sufficient resources to preserve forests. 

For ASEAN member states, social forestry is increasingly viewed as a tool to support environmental sustainability, rural livelihoods and climate resilience. The event also underscored the value of regional collaboration. According to ClientEarth lawyer Azam Hawari, countries face many practical and procedural challenges in implementing social forestry policies, making peer learning a critical component of progress. Sharing successes and setbacks allows governments to learn from one another and develop more effective approaches to implementation.

RECOFTC Indonesia Country Director Gamma Galudra echoed that message, noting that while ASEAN countries differ in political systems, cultures and socio-economic conditions, they share a common objective: using community forestry to promote environmental sustainability, economic prosperity and social equity.

The workshop concluded with reflections on how lessons from across the region can support the continued implementation of the ASEAN Guiding Principles and strengthen social forestry governance across Southeast Asia, helping build healthier forests and more resilient communities.