Accountability and reciprocal interests of bilateral forest cooperation under the global forest regime

Abstract

International forest governance is being established and implemented and influences national forest policies and strategies and international relationships among countries. International forest-related negotiations, including climate change, desertification, and biodiversity pressure states to respond to environmental and forest issues. States cooperate to achieve the shared goals of forest resource management. Bilateral forest cooperation is one way to implement agreements made by the global forest regime. This paper examines the contributions of international forest governance to bilateral forest cooperation through a case study of the Republic of Korea (ROK). The ROK has shared its knowledge and experiences of successful reforestation in the context of the South-South Cooperation. The cooperation areas, activities, and structures determined in bilateral international forest agreements (memorandum of understanding) were analyzed in the context of the history of international forest governance. This paper examines the roles of voluntary agreements by focusing on global accountability and reciprocal interests in forest cooperation between the ROK and its partner countries when implementing global forest regimes. The findings provide information on bilateral forest cooperation agreements as an institutional policy instrument and contribute to solving global issues, such as deforestation, desertification, and climate change, and fulfilling the reciprocal interests among countries in the field of forestry.