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WWF-Congo Basin Conservation Week 2025 lays the foundations for enhanced regional action in the coming years

The WWF offices operating in the five countries of the Congo Basin (Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo) have just concluded their Congo Basin Conservation Week, held from 26 to 30 May 2025 in Libreville, Gabon.

This strategic meeting, which follows on from the first edition held in Brazzaville in November 2022, marks a decisive stage in the concerted implementation of WWF's regional conservation strategy for the next two years.

Bringing together representatives and experts from WWF's country offices in the region, experts from WWF International, representatives from various European and American WWF offices and technical partners, this working week provided an opportunity to assess the progress made since the last meeting, to analyse common challenges and, above all, to lay the foundations for strengthened regional collaboration.

It took place in a context in which each country, which has adopted a five-year strategic plan, is now aligned around a common narrative for the Congo Basin.
 
Towards more inclusive conservation and truly sustainable development

At the heart of the discussions were the two pillars of WWF's strategy in the Congo Basin: sustainable development and inclusive conservation. These two pillars will guide WWF's actions in the region's ten major landscapes of intervention, including :
  • Strengthening support for local communities, through sustainable agriculture and fishing initiatives, and the establishment of effective community-based natural resource management systems.
  • Supporting indigenous peoples, respecting their traditional ways of life and taking account of their specific rights in conservation programmes.
  • Intensifying work with the private sector, in particular to triple the number of certified forest concessions and increase the area under sustainable management.
  • Biodiversity conservation, by supporting the management of protected areas, through innovative partnerships, and by strengthening responses to human-wildlife conflicts.
 
Expected results thanks to implementation of the regional strategy

The discussions held during Conservation Week reaffirmed WWF's operational priorities for the next two years. Their implementation through the various Congo Basin offices should lead to the following results:
  • Improved and more collaborative management of national parks in intervention landscapes;
  • A significant reduction in poaching, particularly of elephants;
  • The effective implementation of zoonosis prevention mechanisms in areas identified as being at risk;
  • A tripling in the number of certified forestry companies operating in the region;
  • A substantial increase in the number of legally recognised and operational community forests;
  • The establishment of supervisory mechanisms for high-impact crops such as cocoa, to limit their contribution to deforestation.
Through this initiative, WWF is reaffirming its desire to create a conservation model that is respectful of local populations, creates economic opportunities and safeguards the exceptional ecological wealth of the Congo Basin.

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