The management of the forests of Latin America and the Caribbean will be fundamental to address regional deforestation and to eradicate hunger, two important goals of the new Sustainable Development Objectives. The important role of forests in food and nutritional security has been widely recognized as a provider of food for a large portion of the population and in combating poverty through income earned by rural workers. These ecosystems also play an important role in carbon sequestration, an activity that helps mitigate the effects of global warming. The importance of continued progress in public policies that favor the proper management of these ecosystems is critical as well. Recent statistics indicate that each year, Latin American and Caribbean countries lose 2 million hectares of forests. However, the pace is slowing. Between 1990 and 200, 4.45 million hectares were lost annually, compared to 2.18 million hectares per year between 2010 and 2015. This significant progress in reducing deforestation is due largely to efforts to promote sustainable forest management and implement natural resource conservation policies that helped to reduce the rate of deforestation. The session will present the state of the art and the main contribution of forest economics, policy, law and governance issues related to improvements in the forest sector in the region, with papers presenting economic analysis of activities related to the forest-based sector, research and extension activities, evolution of forest law in Latin America and implementation of policies related to forest production and agroforestry systems in Latin America and in Caribe, as well as the contribution of forest libraries and information systems for 2030 Agenda.