The 27th IUFRO World Congress 2029 to bring the event to the African Continent for the first time ever

"We are thrilled about the decision to take the IUFRO World Congress to Africa for the first time in the history of our Organization. The beautiful country of Kenya is an oasis of biodiversity, has strong forest traditions and a lively forest research community that is well-connected internationally. This makes it an attractive Congress venue in many respects," says IUFRO President Dr. John Parrotta.

One year before the era of the UN Sustainable Development Goals closes, this Congress will offer the world of forest science an excellent opportunity to take stock of the role of forests in the achievement of the global environmental, social and economic agenda. The Congress will allow us to highlight and acknowledge particularly the crucial roles that African forests, forestry and forest science have been playing in attaining these goals at global, regional and local levels.

The IUFRO Members in Kenya and their regional partners welcome the decision by global researchers and practitioners to visit and experience forests and forestry in Africa.

"Our aim is to host the strongest-ever delegation of African participants to an IUFRO World Congress in terms of numbers, presentations, and exhibitions. They will jointly demonstrate with international partners and peers the value of worldwide cooperation in ADVANCING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS IN FORESTRY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, which is the theme of the Congress," says Dr. Joshua Cheboiwo; The Director, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) - the Host Organization.

Profiling the status of Africa’s forestry in the global arena by 2030 has been at the center of the successful bid presented by KEFRI on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry and other ministries of the Government of Kenya. Also supporting the bid were other IUFRO Member Organizations based in Kenya, namely: The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the African Forest Forum (AFF). In addition, there is strong national partnership with the Kenya Forest Service, the Green Belt Movement and The University of Nairobi. The host country counts on the support of its neighbours and other partners across Africa in extending the experience of Congress guests beyond its national borders.

At the 27th IUFRO World Congress in 2029, African scientists and actors in the forest sector will showcase regional efforts to ensure that the aspirations of Africa as captured in the Agenda 2063 will be on course. This Continental agenda spanning 2013-2063 was launched during the 50th (fiftieth) anniversary of the founding of the African Union (AU) by African Heads of States and Governments. It is the long-term development vision for the continent in all aspects including environment and forestry sectors. The African Union Commission endorsed the Congress bid by the Republic of Kenya since it contributes to African continent development aspirations by 2030 and beyond.

About IUFRO

The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is a non-profit and non-governmental worldwide network of forest scientists, who work together on a voluntary basis to enhance the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees. IUFRO unites more than 15,000 scientists in more than 630 member organizations-mainly public research centres and universities – in 115 countries and is a member of the International Science Council. The organization was founded in Germany in 1892 and has been headquartered in Vienna, Austria, since 1973.

The 26th IUFRO World Congress will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2024.

For more information, please contact:

Gerda Wolfrum, +43-1-8770151-17, wolfrum(at)iufro.org