FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission

The Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC) was established in 1948 as an FAO Statutory Body to provide Member Nations with a technical and political forum to discuss and analyse issues related to forests, as well as their contribution to food security, sustainable food production in the Region and the conservation of natural forest resources.

The mandate of the LACFC is to advise FAO on the Forestry Programme to be developed in the Region. It meets every two years, and serves as a forum for countries to analyze important regional forestry issues and to exchange knowledge and experiences. This includes the formulation of policies for the sustainable management of forests and wildlife, monitoring of forest resources, exchange of information, fight against deforestation and assessment of national and regional experiences.

The principal LACFC recommendations are reported to the FAO Regional Conference that meets every two years to establish priorities for FAO action in the Region. It also provides inputs to the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).

LACFC also establishes guidelines on forestry matters for FAO cooperation endeavours with the Region's Member Nations in Regional Offices and Headquarters. These guidelines are used to formulate the FAO Regional and Global Forestry Programme.

Heads of Forestry Services and Administrations of the Region's Member Nations participate in LACFC, and Observers include Delegates from various United Nations Agencies, national and international NGOs and civil-society organizations.

LACFC invites participation from includes Sub-regional coordination groups for the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, Amazon and Southern Cone, thus enabling Member Nations to coordinate and supplement actions based on the exigencies of each Sub-region.

LACFC Member Countries

 Antigua and Barbuda

 Argentina

 Bahamas

 Barbados

 Belize

 Bolivia

 Brazil

 Chile

 Colombia

 Costa Rica

 Cuba

 Dominica

 Dominican Republic

 Ecuador

 El Salvador

 France

 Grenada

 Guatemala

 Guyana

 Haiti

 Honduras

 Jamaica

 Mexico

 Netherlands

 Nicaragua

 Panama

 Paraguay

 Peru

 Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

 Suriname

 Trinidad y tobago

 United Kingdom

 United States of America

 Uruguay

 Venezuela

Previous meetings

32nd Session, Jamaica

31st Session, Montevideo , Uruguay

30th Session, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

29th Session, Lima, Perú

28th Session, Georgetown, Guyana

27th Session, Asunción, Paraguay

26th Session, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

25th Session, Quito, Ecuador

24th Session, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana

23rd Session, San José, Costa Rica

22nd Session, Buenos Aires, Argentina

21st Session, Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia

20th Session, Habana, Cuba

19th Session, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá