JOINT COMMUNIQUE BY THE FRENCH MINISTRY OF EUROPE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE MINISTRY OF ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION, THE MINISTRY OF THE ECONOMY AND FINANCE

We recap here the announcement of 24th July 2020 – ALLIANCE FOR TROPICAL FOREST PRESERVATION

The mobilization of the Alliance for the Preservation of Tropical Forests, announced by the French President of the Republic, following disastrous fires occurs in 2019 in several regions of the world, should lead to the protection, the sustainable management and the recovery of one of the fundamental ecosystems to maintain a global balance.

At the end of the negotiation process initiated at the G7 summit in Biarritz, then at the United Nations General Assembly led by France and its partners, the forest countries of the Amazon, the Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, and European donor countries, have agreed for the creation of a Charter referring to the Alliance for the Preservation of Tropical Forests :

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/alliance_forets_tropicales_-_charte_cle09ea9f.pdf

This document was transmitted yesterday to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr António Guterres, by the Permanent Representative of France to the UN, informing him that it was open for signature by the countries concerned.

The Alliance is an open coalition of like-minded countries with similar ambitions for forests. It aims to discuss and act closely with relevant sectors of civil society (indigenous peoples and local communities, NGOs, businesses, agricultural organizations, women’s associations, researchers and research centers), and with local and regional authorities in the countries concerned subsequently to an observation of increasing rates of deforestation that continue or even intensify.

To achieve its objective for the preservation of tropical forests, the Alliance will have three concrete and priority missions :

To serve as a political platform between donor countries and major forest countries in order to exchange good practices and obtain a concerted vision of their specific problems
To identify all public and private initiatives concerning forests, so that they are consistent with the objectives set out in the Charter
To prevent forest crises (fires, epidemics, etc.) by preparing forest countries, especially the most vulnerable one, to respond more rapidly through to better international solidarity and, with the support of all the member from the Alliance, to implement concerted policies to promote better preservation of tropical forest ecosystems.

In order to contribute fully to the objectives of the Alliance, France is committed and has decided to get involved in several concrete projects. In particular, France is contributing to the Natural Capital Lab, a trust fund hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which focuses on financial innovation in the service of biodiversity and the fight against deforestation.

It is also contributing to an ambitious project of the NGO Conservation International entitled « Our Future Forests ». It consists of strengthening the territorial management of the Amazonian forest by relying on indigenous peoples, notably through monitoring systems, capacity building and the development of protected areas.

It also mobilizes the tools of the French Development Agency, and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM), including several actions which will contribute to the strengthening and innovation of participatory forestry, benefiting local communities living on the periphery of protected areas in the Congo Basin, and the social and environmental resilience with the management of protected areas in the Ivory Coast and the Burkina Faso.

Lastly, France is also providing support to the indigenous populations of the Amazon basin affected by the COVID-19 health crisis. 5 million € has been mobilized on this purpose for the benefit of several local authorities in Brazil, particularly in the State of Amapa, bordering the territorial community of French Guiana, and the Rainforest Foundation, for the benefit of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin.

For more information : https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/climat-et-environnement/la-preservation-de-la-biodiversite/les-forets-entre-biodiversite-climat-et-developpement/