Sustainable forest management requires legally binding arrangements combined with financial resources for staff and data collection, supported with sound structures to enforce legal measures beyond the duration of a single political cycle. In this regard, forest-related institutions with clear mandates can facilitate the task of ensuring the sustainability of a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), increase transparency in forest data, access to financial resources, including REDD+ results-based payments, and adequately inform decision-making processes to reduce deforestation and degradation.