Advancing forest financing in Guinea-Bissau
September 29, 2025
Building national capacity
From 23 to 26 September 2025, the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Guinea-Bissau, with support from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, convened a national workshop in Bissau to strengthen capacities for mobilizing forest financing.
Finalising a national strategy
The workshop brought together 40 experts from government, development partners, civil society and academia. A central outcome was the finalisation of Guinea-Bissau’s first National Forest Financing Strategy, developed with the support of UNFFS through the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN).
Why it matters
Forests are vital to Guinea-Bissau’s economy, biodiversity, and climate resilience, yet remain under pressure from deforestation and lack of investment. The workshop introduced practical tools to connect national priorities with financing opportunities, from domestic budgets to multilateral climate funds, and explored policy measures to create an enabling environment for resource mobilisation.
Leadership and commitment
The event was opened by Ms. Genevieve Boutin, UN Resident Coordinator of Guinea-Bissau, and H.E. Queta Baldé, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Both leaders also joined the closing session, reaffirming their commitment to implementing the new strategy and ensuring that forests continue to support sustainable development.
Looking ahead
By building national capacity and validating a strategic framework for action, the workshop marked an important step forward in Guinea-Bissau’s efforts to unlock financing for forests and contribute to the Global Forest Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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