Stakeholders involved in the sustainable management of Central African forests met on 28 August to prepare a joint statement for the COP30 Climate Conference in Belem. The aim is to present a unified and ambitious position on the international stage. During the meeting, Dr Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo, Gabonese co-facilitator of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), reiterated that protecting these forests is a global imperative. She stressed the need to reconcile forestry and economic development with biodiversity conservation. To achieve this, COMIFAC countries and their technical and financial partners are invited to engage in close cooperation. This collaboration should result in the production of three key documents for the period 2025-2030:     A joint political declaration that reflects both environmental ambitions and socio-economic aspirations,    A programmatic framework aligned with the COMIFAC Convergence Plan,     A governance framework to ensure the effective use of resources. Dr Koumba Pambo called for everyone’s active participation, emphasising that every voice and every proposal is essential to make this consultation the starting point for a new era for the forests of Central Africa. Source : PFBC