The second Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry was convened 14–16 August 2013 in Cusco, Peru. The Objective of the meeting was to exchange views on progress and challenges in improving sustainable forest management since the first meeting, which was held in Beijing, 2011.

The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru, under the auspices of Asia-Pacific Sustainable Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet).

Participants from 19 APEC economies, including 8 ministers, representatives from leading international forestry organizations, industry associations and the private sector attended the meeting. Mr.Milton von Hesse La Serna, the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru opened the meeting.

In the two-day meeting, Ministers were addressing a comprehensive agenda, including the importance and potential of forest resources in the APEC region; conditions for sustainable forest management; and the main threats and challenges for sustainable forest management.

Recognizing the crucial role that forests play in APEC economies, not only as a source of services, but also as a means to provide livelihoods, meet different development needs and objectives, the meeting adopted the Cusco Statement. The statement takes into account the diversity among APEC economies and development needs. Seventeen points of commitment are elaborated, supporting green growth, sustainable forest management and rehabilitation.

The Statement also reaffirms the forestry goals outlined in the 2007 Sydney APEC Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development, such as increasing forest cover in the region by at least 20 million hectares of all types of forests by 2020 and establishing the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) which has a very important and active role in sustainable forest management in the APEC region.

In an effort to promote forestry cooperation among APEC economies and to encourage progress towards leader’s statements with respect to sustainable forests, the Cusco Statement also invites member economies to offer to convene meetings of Ministers responsible for forestry when necessary.