At launch of periodic report: Congo Basin member States urged to invest in funding forests research.

This was during the launch of a periodic report dubbed ‘State of the Forests of Central Africa’. It was launched in Yaounde September 24. This was on the sidelines of the Parliamentary Conference on Science, Environmental Governance and Climate Finance in Central Africa.

Thanks to funding support from the European Union, EU, the report was spearheaded by COMIFAC’s technical arm, the Central African Forests Observatory, OFAC and Landscape Alliance. 

The report focused on the implementation of national and international conventions on the environment and forests. Dr Martial Maïdou said they sought to take stock of the commitments made by Central African countries at the international as well as national level.

This, he added, is with regards to the sustainable management of the Congo Basin, which is the second largest rainforest in the world with global significance. 

The COMIFAC boss avowed that based on findings, Central African States are making a lot of efforts, though much still has to be done to for more visibility on the global stage. 

“It is urgent that we have more research that allows us to talk about our ecosystems, about our biodiversity, with strong arguments to bring to the international negotiation table,” Dr Maïdou declared. 

He highlighted that during climate finance negotiation, the region must be able to demonstrate the capacity of its ecosystems to sequester carbon. 

“If we compared this data with what is happening elsewhere, you will see that the attractiveness of funds at the international level would become something fundamental,” he further explained.

While stressing the need for member States to mobilise more resources and invest in research about the Congo Basin forest, he acknowledged that most of the funding so far has come from international sources.   

“Research funding is very dependent on international sources, which we appreciate, but we want our states to invest more so that the value of these ecosystems is revealed and that we can go to the negotiation table with more arguments,” Dr Maïdou sounded.

He expressed the institution’s determination to work together with parliaments in the Central African countries so that the recently adopted Convergence Plan of COMIFAC is implemented with much more efficiency.

“We are not just talking about conservation; we are also talking about support for development. The countries of the Congo Basin that have these resources need to have returns from the moment they make efforts to protect this ecosystem which is of global interest,” he emphasised.

The Convergence plan 2026-2035, a shared strategic framework, was adopted to guide sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation and climate actions across the Congo Basin. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3924 of Tuesday September 29, 2026