The International Workshop on Institutional Changes in Forest Management in Countries with Transition Economies took place on February 25, 2003, in Moscow, Russia. Approximately 100 participants representing eight ministries of the Russian Government and 16 regions of Russia, 18 countries with transition economies, the World Bank, the private sector, research institutes, academia, and environmental non-governmental organizations attended the one-day event organized jointly by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the World Bank with support from the Program on Forests (PROFOR). The workshop was held in parallel to the All- Russia Foresters Congress, a gathering of some 5,000 foresters from across Russia to discuss forest management through 2010. The workshop provided an opportunity for decision-makers within the Russian forest sector and transition countries to benefit from the experience of other transition countries. Discussions focused on key issues for the development of the Russian forest sector, including benefits and risks associated with concession management, opportunities associated with forest certification, approaches to forest institution reform, public-private partnerships, and balancing the economic, ecological and social roles of forests. The workshop resulted in a number of conclusions and recommendations to inform the process of forest institution and policy reform. This book is a collection of papers presented and speeches delivered at the workshop, the outcomes of the workshop, and a number of background papers relating to the World Bank’s Forest Strategy and operations in the region.