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form the Network are supported by a variety of part-
ners and stakeholders, including governments, which
are important partners by virtue of their role in forest
policy and as stewards of public lands.
Branching out in Africa
Established in 2009, the African Model Forest Network
(AMFN) is the youngest regional network in the
IMFN. Its development is supported by a Government
of Canada contribution of US$15 million targeted at
the Congo Basin and Maghreb regions. The AMFN’s
mission is to facilitate the development of a pan-
African network of Model Forests. Two pilot sites were
established in Cameroon in 2005, together covering
approximately 1.5 million hectares. Morocco joined the
Network in 2010 and many other initiatives are rapidly
developing in Algeria, Tunisia, and the Democratic
Republic of Congo and elsewhere in the Congo Basin.
The IMFN is particularly excited about new pros-
pects for Model Forests to benefit Rwanda. The
Government of Rwanda’s new Forest Landscape
• A governance mechanism that is representative, transparent and
accountable to its members
• A programme of work reflective of its partners’ needs and values
• A commitment to networking with each site being a ‘model’ from
which others can learn and advance their own sustainability goals.
While eachModel Forest determines its own priorities and programmes,
IMFN members have identified a number of issues relevant to all sites
which form the basis for more focused and deliberate collaboration
between sites and regions. These strategic initiatives – climate change,
environmental goods and services, and community sustainability –
enable members to explore issues and implement activities that extend
beyond any single Model Forest or country. In addition, an IMFN
Circumboreal Initiative fosters international research and cooperation
on common issues across the boreal region. The IMFN Secretariat,
based at Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service and
receiving support from the International Development Research Centre,
coordinates these initiatives and the Network’s overall development.
Regional Model Forest networks have been established in Canada,
Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean, with participat-
ing forests in Sweden and Russia as well. The nearly 60 sites that
International Model Forest Network regional map
Source: IMFN Secretariat