Kribi, Cameroon, 17 June 2025 — Today marks the launch of the Congo Forest Integrated Programme (IP) and Guinean Forests IP, both supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led respectively by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Conservation International (CI). Launched during the first Africa Regional South-South conference on the GEF-funded Critical Forests Integrated Programmes in the Congo Basin and the Guinean Forests, these flagship initiatives focus on safeguarding Intact Forest Landscapes through a transboundary approach that promotes systemic solutions to addressing pressing environmental challenges. The initiatives promote policy coherence, multi-stakeholder dialogues and cooperation at all levels, while mobilising and scaling up sustainable financing for conservation efforts across multiple countries in Central and West Africa.
The two programmes represent $96.8 million of direct investment from GEF’s eighth replenishment cycle (GEF-8), with co-financing of $489.1 million. This is 32.6% of the total investment within the Amazon, Congo, and Critical Forests Umbrella Program, which is supported by $306.5 million from the GEF and an additional $1.49 billion in co-financing.
The Congo Forest IP, led by UNEP, aims to support forest management and conservation by strengthening policy frameworks to improve governance and policies for primary forest conservation across six Central African countries: Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tomé and Príncipe. The Congo Forest IP is led by a Regional Project that will serve as a hub, facilitating regional cooperation, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and communication among stakeholders across these six countries. Through innovation and learning initiatives, the Programme advances protected area management, supports community-based forest restoration, develops innovative financing models, and catalyzes new coalitions for change. The Congo Forest IP also mobilizes both domestic and international resources to secure long-term funding for conservation, restoration, and forest-friendly development initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Guinean Forest IP, led by Conservation International, in partnership with BirdLife International, aims to address deforestation and promote sustainable land use to strengthen forest governance, enhance human wellbeing, and foster green growth, in alignment with the ECOWAS Forest Convergence Plan for the Sustainable Management and use of Forest Ecosystems. Participating countries from the Upper Guinean Forests include Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Using a whole-of-biome approach, the Program will also engage other countries within this Biome, such as Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, as well as key non-state actors. Ultimately, it will serve as a platform to foster policy coherence, mobilise additional financing, strengthen transboundary collaboration, and facilitate learning and knowledge sharing.
“These initiatives embody the GEF’s commitment and the Governments political will to address the intertwined challenges that threaten Africa’s vast, largely pristine tropical rainforests. They represent a bold approach to conservation that recognizes the vital role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and creates innovative pathways for long-term financing”, said GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. “These efforts are also fully aligned with the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”
These two programmes, both focused on Africa’s forests, incorporate strategies such as strengthening protected areas, creating wildlife corridors, combating wildlife trafficking, and establishing zoonotic disease surveillance systems. A key component is empowering Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) to engage in sustainable forest management and to benefit from conservation efforts. This support, including education, capacity building, and enhanced governance, underscores the region’s dedication to biodiversity protection and local livelihoods.
As Minister Hélé, Minister of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development of Cameroon noted, "These initiatives reflect our commitment to protecting the Congo Basin’s biodiversity and supporting local communities. Cameroon is proud to join this regional effort, demonstrating the power of global cooperation in confronting environmental challenges.“
“The launch of the Integrated Program for the Congo Basin Forests is an important step towards strengthening cooperation on the environment and natural resource management in Central Africa,” said Dr Honoré Tabuna, Commissioner for the Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development at the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Commission. “This program embodies the spirit of regional integration that ECCAS stands for, by bringing together several countries in a unified approach to protecting our common forest heritage. It provides a framework for regional cooperation that can enable the forests of the Congo Basin to serve as a source of concrete solutions to global environmental challenges. "
"The revision of the Forest Convergence Plan is the driver for a strong regional engagement and an effective effort on restoration and conservation of the Upper Guinean Forest." Bernard Koffi, Director, Environment & Natural Resources, ECOWAS. The Guinean Forests Integrated Program builds on this momentum to operationalise these ambitions through coordinated action on the ground.
These programmes are supported by key partners, including the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Mano River Union (MRU), BirdLife International and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), who advocate for strengthened regional cooperation, policy alignment, and governance frameworks to promote sustainable forest management. Together, through these efforts, UNEP and CI, in close collaboration with governments of the countries involved, aim to leverage regional and national resources and expertise to create resilient ecosystems that contribute to long-term health and sustainability of forests — a model that can be scaled globally to benefit both ecosystems and local communities.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the Congo Forest Integrated Programme The GEF-funded Congo Forest Integrated Programme consists of two sequential initiatives: the GEF-7 Congo Basin Impact Programme (2021-2026) and the GEF-8 Congo Critical Forest Biome Integrated Programme (2025-2032). Together, these programmes represent an investment of approximately $100 million from the GEF, supporting forest conservation and sustainable management through a regional landscape approach. More information about the program can be accessed HERE.
About the Guinean Forests Integrated Programme The GEF-funded Guinean Forests Integrated Programme is a $22 million initiative that supports forest conservation and sustainable land management through a regional, transboundary landscape approach in West Africa. More information about the program can be accessed HERE.
About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) includes several multilateral funds working together to address the planet's most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $26 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another $153 billion for country-driven priority projects.
About the UN Environment Programme The UN Environment Programme is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About Conservation International
Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.
For more information please contact:
UNEP: unep-ecosystems-conforest@un.org or visit : www.congolandscapes.org
Conservation International : cigef@conservation.org or visit: Guinean Forests Integrated Program