The Congo Basin contains some of the most intact forest landscapes in the world and is a carbon sink and biodiversity reserve of global importance. These forests are also home to 50 million rural communities, including up to 500,000 Indigenous Peoples, who depend on them for their culture and livelihoods. However, the expansion of agribusiness, extractive industries and associated infrastructure development are all increasing pressures on these invaluable ecosystems.

As specified in the 2019 IPCC Special Report on Land, recognising the rights of local communities and Indigenous Peoples is central to protecting forests and addressing climate change. Fortunately, effective rights-based approaches to protecting rainforests are emerging in Congo Basin. A growing number of countries are legally recognising community forest regimes, while innovative technologies are enabling communities to map their resources and monitor illegal logging.

Join ClientEarth and the Rainforest Foundation UK for a two-hour panel discussion on scalable and innovate models of rights-based forest protection. Then panel will comprise high-level representation from Congo Basin governments along with influential civil society representatives, including:

• Minister Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Republic of Congo (RoC)
• A representative from the Sustainable Development Department of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD)
• Blaise Mudodosi, Coordinator, Actions pour la Promotion et Protection des Peuples et Espèces Menacés (APEM), DRC
• Lilian Barros, Permanent Secretary of CJJ and Coordinator of the Plateforme pour la Gestion Durable des Forêts (PGDF), RoC

Where and When:

The event will take place from 14h00 to 16h00 on Thursday, November 4, 2021 in the COMIFAC pavilion in the Blue Zone at COP26. The panel discussion will be livestreamed over zoom.

For more Information, please, download the Documents here below: