Background
It is well established now that areas with high rates of poverty and forest areas often coincide. There is much interest in exploring ways of using forest resources in ways that benefit the poor, while sustaining the resource base. There is increasing evidence though that the potential of forests to contribute to poverty reduction is only being partially realized. There is also growing recognition that this will continue to be the case unless critical issues are addressed such as the need for greater tenure security, market reform and other supportive changes in policy to improve access to resources and markets by the poor.

This conference aims to support discussion and exchange on the critical factors surrounding forests and poverty and current efforts to reduce poverty through forest management and use. It will strengthen existing, and help build new, strategic networks of key stakeholders to advance tenure, market and policy reforms in support of poverty reduction. Based on the evidence and experiences shared at the conference, participants will be invited to craft a common agenda of priorities to strengthen reforms for poverty reduction and forests in Asia. Arrangements at the national and regional level to support the implementation of the agenda will also be considered.

Who should attend?
The conference will be relevant to you if you are:

• A policy maker or administrator working in forest management and tenure related issues,
• Leading a community association or federation,
• Leading a development organization working on issues of forest rights, trade and enterprise development,
• A professional working in research, forest administration and management, rural development, enterprise and market development, and poverty alleviation, Working in related areas within the corporate or private sector.

The Conference Organizers
The conference is organized by the Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) in collaboration with the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and other regional partner organizations. The RRI is an informal coalition of organizations, including CIFOR, IUCN, RECOFTC, Forest Trends, Forest and People Program, Foundation for People and Community Development, ACICAFOC, ICRAF, and INTERCOOPERATION. RRI is supported by Ford Foundation, DFID, IDRC, USAID and the US Forest Service. RRI mission is to promote greater global commitment to pro-poor forest policy and market reforms to increase local household and community ownership, control, and benefits from forests and trees. Other regional organizations contributing to the organization of the conference include the Asia Forest Network, FAO-RAP, Finland Embassy, JICA, and The World Bank.