The workshop “Advancing Employment Data and Promoting Decent Work in the Forest Sector in Türkiye”, held on 22–23 May 2025 in Ankara, was co-organized by the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) and FAO, with scientific support from the Thünen Institute. It brought together around 40 participants from government institutions, statistical agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, cooperatives, and international partners to assess the current state of employment data and working conditions in Türkiye’s forest sector.

The workshop focused on identifying gaps in data availability and comparability, analysing working conditions (including informality, safety, gender equality, and youth participation), and promoting decent rural employment through improved policies and training. Key tools presented included the FAO-ILO-Thünen Forest Employment Model (FEM) and national survey data from TÜİK.

Recommendations included enhancing social protection, digital and technical training, policy coherence, and data disaggregation. FAO committed to incorporating Türkiye’s findings into the 2025 Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) and FAOSTAT, while continuing to support forest-based livelihoods and bioeconomy initiatives in the region. The workshop built on earlier dialogues and contributes to the global agenda on sustainable forest employment and decent work.