Valuing“respect for diversity in development, being action-oriented and thinking innovatively”, APFNet is committed to helping the economies and people of the Asia-Pacific region by promoting and improving sustainable forest management and rehabilitation. 

The purpose of APFNet is expanding forest cover and improving forest ecosystem quality in Asia and the Pacific to promote the multiple functions of forests, help mitigate and adapt to climate change and meet the changing socio-economic and environmental needs of the region.

a) Contribute to the achievement of the inspirational goal of increasing forest cover in the region by at least 20 million hectares of all types of forests by 2020;

b) Help to enhance forest carbon stocks and improve forest quality and productivity by promoting rehabilitation of existing but degraded forests and reforestation and afforestation of suitable cleared lands in the region;

c) Help to reduce forest loss and degradation and their associated emissions of greenhouse gases by strengthening sustainable forest management and enhancing biodiversity conservation;

d) Help to increase the socio-economic benefits of forests in the region.

APFNet strategies are developed are on a five-year basis to set and fine tune priorities and approaches to achieve periodical targets. In its second strategic plan for period 2016-2020, APFNet prioritizes 

a) Rehabilitating degraded forests and increasing forest cover;

b) Promoting sustainable forest management to enhance ecological functions and ecosystem security of forests; and

c) Enhancing forests' contribution to socio-economic development and to improvement of local livelihoods.