The Congo Basin harbours the largest and among the oldest tropical peatlands complexes in the world. This essential ecosystem has global significance in climate change mitigation. Pictured here is the Lac Tele Community Reserve in the Republic of the Congo, where peatlands protection is critical. Photo: © Thomas Nicolon/WCS

Belém, Brazil, November 20, 2025 — WCS commends the appeal made by Central African  countries and regional institutions, partner countries, development banks, private partners and philanthropic organizations to support the Belém Call to Action for the Congo Basin Forests, presented by the ministers on 18 November, as part of the CoP30 Thematic Days on forests.

The Belém Call to Action for the Congo Basin Forests focuses on sustainable management of natural resources in the region, the development of sustainable value chains, funding mobilization, scientific and traditional knowledge and the involvement of civil society and Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Central African countries are demonstrating their continued dedication to foster the enabling conditions and actions needed to preserve these essential forests. Donors and partners committed to raise more than $2.5 billion over the next five years and provide the necessary technical assistance to support the achievement of the objectives laid out in the joint declaration.

“WCS fully adheres to this vision and is committed to continue our long-standing collaboration with the Congo Basin countries centered on the overall objective of the declaration - to protect the ecological integrity of one of the most important forest basins in the world, its incredible biodiversity and the people who depend on it,” said Adam Falk, WCS President and CEO. "In collaboration with Central African countries, civil society, the scientific and donor community, WCS’s long-established work in the Congo Basin—protecting key landscapes, supporting rights-based and community-led conservation, advancing science-based management and innovative financing—directly aligns with the Belém Call, which calls for increased international funding and stronger partnerships to safeguard the world’s critical tropical forests."

By generating robust data, strengthening protected areas, and supporting governments, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, WCS provides the practical foundations needed to implement the Appeal’s ambition for a resilient, well-funded, and sustainably managed Congo Basin.

The Belém Call to Action is an important opportunity to further seize the collective momentum, and WCS applauds this coalition of countries and institutions from Central Africa, Europe, and beyond, as well as development banks, philanthropic donors and not-for-profit organizations, in their decision to join forces towards this common goal and the commitments made to support it. 

Especially in the context of UNFCCC CoP30, WCS is pleased to see an announcement such as this one, that recognizes nature, ecological integrity and Indigenous leadership as critical parts of the climate agenda. 

The Call is bringing together the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBPF), the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) and its member countries, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, the European Commission, Belgium, Germany, France, Norway, United Kingdom, the African Development Bank, the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), the Climate Investment Funds, the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, and the World Bank, as well as philanthropic partners such as the Bezos Earth Fund, among others.

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