Joint press release - The Belém Call

On Thursday, 6 November, in Belém, Brazil, during the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the countries of central Africa, partner countries, development banks, private partners and philanthropic organizations renewed their commitment to the Congo Basin Pledge, made at COP26 in Glasgow, to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.

This commitment is part of a larger effort to protect the three tropical forests of the planet, which are essential pillars of the global ecological balance and play a major role in climate regulation.

The Congo Basin forests are of exceptional importance at the ecological, economic, social and cultural levels  ; they are a unique reservoir of biodiversity and form a natural carbon sink that is crucial to fulfilling the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Donors are committed to raising more than $2.5 billion over the next five years, in addition to the domestic resources that will be mobilized by countries of central Africa to support the protection and sustainable management of the Congo Basin forests.

The Belém Call to Action for the Congo Basin Forests makes official this exceptional mobilization of countries of the region, regional organizations, in particular the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) and their partners, with the support of the French-Gabonese joint facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP).

This Call will be presented by the ministers during the COP30 Thematic Days on forests, on 17 and 18 November.

Signatories  : The countries of central Africa and their partners  :

Germany
Belgium
France
Norway
United Kingdom
African Development Bank
World Bank
European Commission
Global Environment Facility
Climate Investment Funds
Green Climate Fund

[Translated from French]