The First World Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities of Forest Basins

The First World Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities of Forest Basins concluded on Friday, May 30, 2025, in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Held from May 26 to 30, 2025, at the Kintélé International Conference Center, this historic event brought together representatives of indigenous peoples from the forest basins of the Amazon,

Congo, Borneo-Mekong, and Mesoamerica, along with institutional, scientific, and financial partners. Objectives and Key Themes The congress aimed to strengthen coordination among indigenous peoples and local communities of the world's major forest basins, with a view to forming a global coalition supporting the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). The discussions focused on several major themes:

- The role of indigenous knowledge and science in forest preservation; - Direct access to funding for indigenous peoples in collaboration with states, financial partners, the private sector, and philanthropy;

- The forest economy and its impact on transforming the global financial architecture;

- The Brazzaville Round Table, aimed at sustainable development integrating climate objectives, biodiversity, and land management. Participation and representation Delegations from over 24 countries participated, representing the Congo, Amazon, Borneo-Mekong, and Mesoamerican forest basins. The congress also welcomed representatives from sub-regional organizations of the CAFI (Central Africa Forest Initiative), the Climate Island States Commission, the scientific community, as well as donors and technical and financial partners.

Perspectives and commitments The participants emphasized the importance of recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in the sustainable management of forests. They called for strengthened cooperation between nations to collectively address environmental, social, and economic challenges, while valuing traditional knowledge and the leadership of indigenous peoples.

The congress also highlighted the need for innovative financing mechanisms, focused on non-market approaches, such as community-based forest management to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the ecosystems of the three forest basins. In summary, this congress marks a significant step in recognizing the central role of indigenous peoples and local communities in preserving tropical forests and combating climate change. The Congo Basin Conservation Society was represented by its executive director Josué ARUNA, to bring the discussions and the position taken in favor of forests to the indigenous and local communities it supports in South Kivu and Maniema.

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