About The Summit

A collective commitment for a sustainable future

Dear participants,

The 2021-2030 Decade, proclaimed by the United Nations for ecosystem restoration, calls for global mobilization in the face of the environmental and climate emergency that threatens our precious planet.

In these critical times, we must act together and with determination to preserve the 350 million hectares of tropical forests, which represent a colossal investment of 1 trillion dollars according to United Nations experts’ estimates.

The recent reports from the IPCC leave no room for doubt: If we aim to achieve the ambition of the Paris Agreement, which sets a target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C by 2050, it is imperative to preserve and restore biodiversity ecosystems as well as tropical forests.

The numbers speak for themselves and underscore the magnitude of the challenges ahead. The Three Basins, home to 80% of the world’s tropical forests and two-thirds of terrestrial biodiversity, play a vital role in this fight. Moreover, in the face of accelerating climate change and its increasingly harmful consequences for human communities, animal and plant species, the Three Basins bear a major responsibility as the lungs of the planet, global regulators of carbon balance, and guardians of biodiversity.

Twelve years after a memorable first summit, in collaboration with the President of the Republic of Brazil and the President of the Republic of Indonesia, I have made the decision to host the Three Basins Summit on Biodiversity Ecosystems and Tropical Forests in Brazzaville. This edition, held under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union, marks a seminal turning point for our Global Coalition.

We aspire to bring together, during this high-level gathering, all our countries that comprise the Three Basins around the creation of a global alliance of ecosystems with governance based on South-South cooperation. However, we also call upon OECD countries, our bilateral and multilateral technical and financial partners, the private sector, financial institutions, global philanthropy, representatives of civil society, and local governments to join this ambitious endeavor.

Wangari Maathai, a prominent Kenyan figure and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, aptly stated, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

Together, we have the duty and the power to bequeath to future generations a legacy of preservation and protection of our planet. Your presence and commitment during this crucial summit are essential to successfully fulfill this noble mission.

Thank you.

Denis Sassou-Nguesso,
President of the Republic of Congo
Chair of the Congo Basin Climate Commission