06/10/2026
The Malaysian delegation participated in the 28th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28), held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy from 28 September to 2 October 2026.
The delegation was led by Mr. Muhamad Abdullah, Senior Director of the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, together with representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), as Malaysia’s National Focal Point for COFO, Forest Department Sarawak, Sabah Forestry Department, and the Agriculture Attaché Office, Embassy of Malaysia in Rome.
COFO is FAO’s highest global intergovernmental body on forestry, providing policy and technical guidance on forest-related issues and strategic direction for FAO’s work in forestry.
COFO 28 discussed key global forestry issues, including the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2026 and forest and landscape restoration, the contribution of forests and trees to food security and nutrition, integrated fire management and wildfire resilience, sustainable forest-based bioeconomy, the FAO Green Cities Initiative, sustainable wildlife management, forest degradation and the implementation of the FAO Forestry Roadmap 2024–2031.
During the session, Malaysia highlighted its commitment to Sustainable Forest Management, forest and landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable forest-based livelihoods. Malaysia also emphasized the importance of capacity development, technology and strengthened international cooperation in supporting the implementation of the country’s forestry agenda.
Malaysia further reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to maintaining at least 50 per cent of its land area under forest and tree cover, while continuing to strengthen cooperation with international partners towards more resilient and inclusive global forest management.