In Libreville, the One Forest Summit, a high-level summit, opens on Wednesday 1 March in the presence of several actors including heads of state and government, leaders of international organisations, financial institutions, representatives of the private sector, international NGOs… around the preservation and sustainable management of tropical forests.
Organised under the aegis of France and Gabon, the One Forest Summit aims to protect ecosystems (primary forests, peat bogs, mangroves, etc.) which constitute vital reserves of carbon and biodiversity. The One Forest Summit is indeed an opportunity to move forward and renew collective commitments to the preservation and sustainable management of forests, which are essential to address interrelated global challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss. The promotion of North-South solidarity, which is essential for the protection of these vital reserves, will also be a key element.
Thus, the discussions at the One Forest Summit revolve around three key points that can lead to new commitments. Firstly, it is a question of advancing knowledge and promoting scientific cooperation on forest ecosystems. Secondly, it is about fostering sustainable value chains in the forestry sector and unlocking innovative sources of finance, including market-based solutions for biodiversity conservation.
In addition, the two-day conference ( March 1st and 2nd) is also an opportunity to discuss the theme of the Congo Basin and the common challenges faced by the tropical forest basins of Africa, Amazonia and Asia. To this end, the forests of the Congo Basin are nowadays the ones that capture the most greenhouse gases. The Congo Basin is one of the largest tracts of continuous tropical forest and the second largest rainforest in the world. These forests are mainly located in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and cover a small part of the Central African Republic.
The French President Emmanuel Macron, whose visit to Central Africa is scheduled for this 1st March, the Congolese Denis Sassou Nguesso, the Angolan João Lourenzo and the Central African Republic’s Faustin-Archange Touadéra, as well as the authorities of Gabon, are taking part in these meetings.
