ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Government of Brazil and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today co-hosted the Regional Workshop on the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) with ASEAN Member States and its stakeholders in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The workshop was a milestone to strengthen multilateral cooperation and build momentum ahead of the official launch of the TFFF at the Leaders’ Summit of COP30 in Belém, Brazil on November 6.
The session brought together key representatives from governments, diplomatic missions, academia, civil society, research institutions, and international organizations across Southeast Asia. Participants explored how ASEAN countries—home to some of the world’s most biodiverse and carbon-rich tropical forests—can benefit from their efforts to conserve tropical forests which provide vital ecosystem services, such as climate regulation, to the world.
In his opening remarks, this shared vision for global collaboration was underscored by H.E. Mr. Henrique Ferraro, Ambassador of Brazil to ASEAN, who noted, “The TFFF is closely aligned with ASEAN’s aspirations for sustainable and inclusive growth toward a carbon-neutral future. Last month, during an event held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that Brazil will contribute USD 1 billion to the TFFF, demonstrating the strong commitment of the Brazilian Government as both a beneficiary and an investing country.”
Led by Brazil and co-designed by an Interim Steering Committee composed of tropical countries (Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, and Malaysia) along with other five Sponsor Countries (France, Germany, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom), and with the active participation of civil society organizations, Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs) and the private sector, the TFFF is an innovative financial mechanism to reward tropical countries for conserving their forests. The Facility will provide long-term, continuous payments for tropical forest countries, ensuring that significant resources reach those who protect and restore forests on the ground, particularly IPLCs.
“The TFFF is a great example where countries of the Global South are designing solutions that respond to their shared realities. ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, play a vital role in shaping this innovative framework to ensure that climate and forest finance is governed transparently, reaches local communities, and drives both human and sustainable development.” Said Ms. Sara Ferrer Olivella, UNDP Indonesia Resident Representative.
“UNDP stands ready to support the countries to strengthen the governance systems and institutional readiness needed to make the Facility work for people and the planet,” she added.
Emphasizing the importance of such efforts, Mr. Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, Director for ASEAN External Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, stated, “Indonesia and Brazil, together with other countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America, are home to tropical forests that play a vital role in regulating the global climate, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting sustainable development. The TFFF presents an innovative financial framework to address this gap. Supporting such initiatives is critical to ensure that tropical forests remain standing and continue contributing to global climate stability and biodiversity conservation.”
“The TFFF is a bold new initiative to value tropical forests that regulate our climate hydrological cycles and provide habitat to most of the world’s biodiversity. The TFFF will provide large-scale continuous funding for tropical conservation to enable countries to implement long-term forest conservation policies, including payments to those communities who protect these forests. The financial model seeks to attract private funding and maximize the use of limited public funding, hence an example of blended finance”, mentioned André Aquino, Advisor on Economics to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in Brazil.
The workshop reaffirmed Southeast Asia’s pivotal role in global forest governance and underscored the growing solidarity among tropical forest countries. The Government of Brazil and UNDP emphasized their commitment to strengthening collaboration with ASEAN members in the lead-up to COP30, ensuring that the voices of the Global South, and the world’s forest guardians, remain central to the global climate agenda. (AT Network)
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