Daphine Gitonga

First International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation

The First International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation (ICAR1) was held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, from July 02 to 05, 2024, at the invitation of His Excellency Denis SASSOU-N’GUESSO, President of the Republic, Head of State.

The conference brought together over 2,000 participants from many countries, including heads of state and government, ministers, representatives of international organizations, the scientific community, the private sector, NGOs and civil society.

The conference had the following objectives:

  • to present the state of art of afforestation and reforestation at the global scale;
  • adopt a global strategy for afforestation and reforestation, including technical, scientific and financial aspects;
  • to request the inclusion of the “African and Global Decade of Afforestation” in the United Nations Agenda, by means of a World Declaration on afforestation and reforestation;
  • to appoint a Monitoring and Evaluation Committee to oversee implementation of the conference recommendations.

The First International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation was organized around three segments:

  • The Experts segment ;
  • The Ministerial Segment and
  • The high-level segment of Heads of States.

The Experts segment, organized into Panels and technical sessions with discussions, gave the opportunity to participants to address the following themes:

  • The Ministerial segment was organized around high-level sessions and roundtables, including one on financing, which provided an opportunity to examine the resolutions and recommendations formulated by the Expert segment for their attention.
  • After examining the various documents, the Ministers in turn, formulated resolutions and recommendations for the attention of the Very High-Level Segment of Heads of State and Government.
  • The Heads of State Segment of the First International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation examined the documents brought to its attention and adopted the following resolutions and recommendations.

At the end of their segment, the experts formulated a number of resolutions and recommendations for the ministerial segment;

  • The Ministerial segment was organized around high-level sessions and roundtables, including one on financing, which provided an opportunity to examine the resolutions and recommendations formulated by the Expert segment for their attention.
  • After examining the various documents, the Ministers in turn, formulated resolutions and recommendations for the attention of the Very High-Level Segment of Heads of State and Government.
  • The Heads of State Segment of the First International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation examined the documents brought to its attention and adopted the following resolutions and recommendations.

Recommendations
The main recommendations of the first international conference on afforestation and reforestation are as follows:
1. Strengthen international cooperation: Encourage greater collaboration between nations and initiatives to share best practices and technologies;
2. Implementing policies and regulatory frameworks: Developing regional and national policies to promote reforestation, including tax incentives and robust regulatory frameworks;
3. Support innovative and sustainable financing: Mobilizing large-scale financing, including carbon finance and the non-market-based approach, Public-Private Partnerships, payments for environmental services and all other green financing;
4. Include local communities and indigenous peoples: Include local communities and indigenous peoples in reforestation projects and people living with disabilities, by providing them with the necessary resources and the best planting techniques;
5. Promote nature-based solutions: Promote forest and agroforestry plantations, the bioeconomy, ecosystem-based solutions, and other natural and affordable solutions;
6. Monitor and evaluate progress: Setting up rigorous regional and global systems to monitor and evaluate progress;
7. Introduce a “DAMAR” honorific award to recognize a country, organization or individual who has made a significant contribution to afforestation, reforestation and the fight against deforestation.

Commitments
ICAR1 participants committed to support:

  • finalization and implementation of the global afforestation and reforestation strategy adopted during the conference;
  • the process of endorsement of the World Decade of Afforestation and Reforestation by the United Nations General Assembly;
  • establishment of a system for implementing, monitoring and evaluating the Declaration.
  • Institutionalization of the International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation, by organizing an international conference on afforestation and reforestation every two years;

The ICAR1 Participants express their sincere gratitude to the States, international organizations, private sector, NGOs and all stakeholders who participated in this conference.

  • ICAR 1 participants thank His Excellency Denis SASSOU N’GUESSO, President of the Republic, Head of State, for his vision and leadership on environmental issues and the World Decade on Afforestation and Reforestation initiative.
  • ICAR 1 participants express their gratitude to the government and people of the Republic of Congo for their legendary hospitality.

Brazzaville, July 05, 2024