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A great
International
Year of Forests
In 2011, the UN-designated International Year of
Forests shone a spotlight on the actions needed to
promote more sustainable management of forests.
CIFOR had much to celebrate in this regard – as we
outline in this annual report.
The year saw many new policies and pledges of
financial support by governments and donors
for efforts to stem deforestation and forest
degradation. As CIFOR moves forward to
implement the CGIAR Research Programme
Forests,
Trees and Agroforestry,
we are confident that we
are well positioned to take on the most important
forestry research challenges we face today.
CIFOR now has about 200 staff, complemented
by many associates, partners and consultants, who
are carrying out forest-related research in some 20
countries. We have a growing number of high-
profile global comparative research projects at
various stages of completion that are generating
new knowledge and impact consistent with our
mission. We have significantly enhanced CIFOR’s
presence on the global stage through increased
investment in communications.
In November, I announced my intention to leave
CIFOR, after having led the organisation since 2006.
I believe that now is a good time for a leadership
transition because the organisation is so strong in
so many ways. Thanks to the commitment of our
staff and board and the breadth of our partnerships,
we have achieved remarkable progress towards
our goal of becoming the ‘go-to’ resource for
information and analysis on key forest issues.
It has been a pleasure to lead CIFOR during the
past 6 years and I am confident that CIFOR’s
next director general will bring new energy
and perspectives to further ensure delivery on
advancing our mission in the future.
Frances Seymour
Director General
Photo by Eko Prianto/CIFOR