The Brazzaville forest congress brought together Indigenous peoples and local communities from the world’s great forest basins. Officially the First Global Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from Forest Basins, it took place in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, from May 26 to 30, 2025.
More than 200 people from 20 countries attended. They represented critical forest regions, including the Congo Basin, the Amazon, and Borneo-Mekong in Southeast Asia.
Environmental Defenders at the Brazzaville forest congress
The congress aimed to strengthen Indigenous and local community organizations, especially those led by women. It focused on sustainable forest management and climate resilience.
Environmental Defenders (ED) took an active part. Taylor Kahandja, ED’s program officer for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), represented the organization. His participation opened connections with major organizations such as the Skoll Foundation and World Resources Institute Africa. These links will support collaboration to protect the forests of the Congo Basin.
These connections fit Environmental Defenders’ mission. We defend the rights of Indigenous peoples in conservation and promote community-led, sustainable initiatives.
Key messages from the Brazzaville forest congress
The congress underlined the vital role of Indigenous peoples in forest conservation. Deforestation rates are much lower in Indigenous territories. For this reason, participants called for Indigenous knowledge to be built into environmental policy.
Participants also called for direct access to climate finance. After all, the whole world benefits when Indigenous communities protect forests such as the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and Borneo-Mekong.
A final statement from the congress was expected to guide future advocacy and shape upcoming global climate talks.
Our commitment to Indigenous peoples and forests
Environmental Defenders works in the Congo Basin and the Albertine Rift. Our focus is ecological protection and support for Indigenous communities. Our work includes community forestry, protecting land tenure rights, and empowering environmental defenders, especially women and rangers.
Taking part in Brazzaville reflects our commitment to partnerships that advance environmental justice and climate resilience. It also amplifies the voices of Indigenous peoples. We continue to advocate for conservation policies that are inclusive and effective and that respect the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We do this through international forums and cooperation with like-minded organizations.
In Brazzaville, voices from the world’s most vital forests came together. We stood shoulder to shoulder with Indigenous leaders and grassroots advocates to call for a more just and sustainable future. Our new links with the Skoll Foundation and WRI Africa open fresh opportunities for collaboration rooted in community wisdom and climate justice.
Environmental Defenders returned to the Congo Basin energized and more determined than ever. We will keep championing the rights of Indigenous peoples, protecting precious ecosystems, and pushing for policies that put local communities at the heart of global climate solutions.