The Silva Mediterranea Committee is open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of the African, European and Near East Forestry Commissions of FAO, territories of which are situated wholly or partly in the Mediterranean basin or whose forest, agricultural and grazing economies are intimately associated with those of the Mediterranean region.  

With the use of strategic frameworks, Silva Mediterranea has supported Mediterranean countries in the development of forest policies and national forest programmes. Initially prioritizing the technical and scientific aspects, the Committee evolved to focus on legislation, financing and research since the 1960s. Land utilization, soil conservation, reforestation, wood production and the impact of climate change on forest ecosystems have been the central topics of focus, each prioritizing the involvement of local communities.  

Notable sessions of Silva Mediterranea include the Fifteenth Session in 1992, during which the Committee adopted the Mediterranean Forest Action Programme to support Mediterranean countries in developing forest policies respective to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development of 1992. The Twenty-First Session in 2012 proposed an evaluation of the Committee that gave suggestions for the renewal of the functioning framework and connected the working groups. Silva Mediterranea adopted the new strategy of 2019 to 2030 at the Twenty-Third Session in 2019, centralizing on  the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 and the Rio Conventions. In 2022, the Twenty-Fourth Session concerned the status of the Agadir Commitment, the Mediterranean flagship submission for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the consolidation of the Mediterranean Youth Task Force.