Structure
The Joint Initiative is established within the framework of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. It is organized as follows:
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is the overseeing body of the Joint Initiative, consisting of those members of the CPF that have agreed to join the Initiative, and is chaired by IUFRO. The following CPF member organizations are members of the Steering Committee (in alphabetical order): Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO, Chair); Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF); World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
Major decisions regarding the Initiative are taken by the Steering Committee. The Committee selects topics for reports based on requests from intergovernmental processes, from consultations with governments and major groups of civil society, and by means of guidance received by the CPF and its members. The Committee also approves membership of the Expert Panels as well as their Terms of Reference and ensures that the reports prepared by Expert Panels are consistent with these Terms of Reference.
Expert Panels
Following the topics selected by the Steering Committee, thematic Expert Panels are established to assess relevant existing, peer-reviewed scientific information and to prepare reports addressing these topics. Expert Panels consist of up to 30 scientists with internationally recognized expertise in the specific subject fields of the reports. The exact size of the Expert Panels depends on the specific topics to be covered in the assessment reports. The Panels operate on the basis of Terms of Reference approved by the Steering Committee and are established on a temporary basis. The work of the Expert Panels is overseen by a Chair.
Members of the Expert Panel may include IUFRO officeholders and participating scientists, scientists from CIFOR and ICRAF, scientists working for other research organizations and networks, as well as experts of the CBD Secretariat, FAO and the UNFF Secretariat and other CPF Member Organizations. The members are selected in a way that they reflect required scientific expertise, diversity, balance between North/South, natural and social sciences, and gender. Expert Panel members participate in their own personal capacity.
