Joint Press Release by BMZ, the City of Bonn and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Center for International Forestry Research Opens European Office in Bonn – Strengthening the center of scientific research, climate protection, and international cooperation
The establishment of the CIFOR European Secretariat in Bonn is a milestone in a long-standing and successful partnership. Together with the Center for International Forestry Research, Germany is focusing on science-based solutions to major global challenges in the fields of the environment and sustainable development. This is because forests shape the future. To ensure they are preserved and made future-proof, research and scientific networking across disciplines, levels, and national borders are needed. CIFOR is committed to this.
To mark the opening, the Federal City of Bonn, together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and CIFOR, hosted a reception for high-level guests from politics, international organizations, research, development cooperations, and other partner organizations in the Old Town Hall.
“Bonn has not only been Germany’s United Nations City with a focus on sustainability for 30 years but is also home to a variety of international organizations that conduct research and work primarily in the fields of environment, sustainable development and global cooperation,” emphasized Guido Déus, Mayor of the City of Bonn. “We are very pleased to welcome CIFOR and the Landscape Alliance with their new Europe office to this vibrant, international community. With global scientific expertise and close connections all over the world, this institution is an outstanding fit for our city and its landscape of stakeholders.
”The establishment of the CIFOR European secretariat in the Federal City of Bonn is giving another boost to the significance of Bonn as a location for international cooperation. The increased presence of UN agencies in Germany is a visible sign of the stronger role that our country is playing in the international arena,“ said Niels Annen, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. ”We are partnering with CIFOR to translate research into practical answers to the interrelated challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and water and food insecurity. Through these efforts, we are strengthening communities as they develop sustainable land use practices and resilient food systems. This is essential with a view to preventing conflict and protecting the natural resource base that is vital to people's lives and livelihoods.“
”By deciding to open our European office in Bonn, we have opted for synergies and networks in close proximity to one another. “With the United Nations and Bonn as a hub for sustainability, we find an extraordinary concentration of international institutions and partners working on the interconnected challenges that drive our work worldwide,” said Robert Nasi, Director General of CIFOR.
“The German Federal Government has long been a reliable partner for us in international research and development and cooperation on forests, landscapes, and agriculture. The presence of CIFOR in Germany, which began with the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), builds on this relationship and at the same time contributes to the city’s role as an important international hub for sustainability and development,” said Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO of the Landscape Alliance, with satisfaction.
CIFOR acts together with International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) under the operational name “Landscape Alliance.” The CIFOR Europe Secretariat, as the impact hub of the Landscape Alliance in Bonn, will act as a bridge between German and European science, policy, and development cooperation on the one hand and CIFOR’s research and implementation networks in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on the other. It will help German partners establish international research collaborations, translate scientific findings into practical solutions, and strengthen German contributions to global processes such as the convention on climate (UNFCCC), biodiversity (CBD), and land degradation and drought (UNCCD), as well as the international agenda for food systems and sustainable development. The UNFCCC and the (UNCCD have their secretariats in Bonn, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) also works at the Bonn UN Campus. These and other organizations within and outside the United Nations make Bonn the leading hub for sustainability, climate, and development cooperation, of which CIFOR is now also a part.
About CIFOR and the Landscape Alliance
The Landscape Alliance is the operating name of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF). Through research, partnerships, and concrete action, CIFOR and ICRAF jointly harness the potential of forests, trees, and agroforestry landscapes to address interconnected global challenges, including action against climate change and biodiversity loss, for food security, and for the preservation and creation of sustainable livelihoods. In doing so, they pursue an integrated landscape approach that views forests, agriculture, water, biodiversity, climate, food systems, and livelihoods as interconnected systems. CIFOR and ICRAF are legally independent international organizations and CGIAR Research Centers.