Improvements in forest governance remain too slow to have a measurable impact on reducing deforestation. There is progress in increasing transparency around forests, improving law enforcement, and expanding demand-side measures to address illegal logging in a number of countries. However, these improvements fall short of what is needed to address the vast governance challenges that continue to allow deforestation and inhibit efforts to improve forest conservation and management. Areas of particular concern include the continued failure to grant indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and decision-making power over their forests and the increasing violence against defenders of lands and forests. In addition, much deforestation is illegal, and corruption remains rampant in and around forests.
The 2018 NYDF Assessment report, "Improving governance to protect forests: Empowering people and communities, strengthening laws and institutions," examines progress to date on implementing NYDF Goal 10.