The government communicates on the issues of the One Forest Summit
2 March 2023
Libreville, March 1, 2023. The government spokesperson, Yves Fernand Manfoumbi hosted a press conference during which he presented the challenges of the One forest summit.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press and the media,
I am very happy to have you back at this press conference. This will essentially revolve around the One Forest Summit.
Ladies and gentlemen,
On March 1 and 2, 2023, our country, Gabon, will host this important global meeting on the environment. Organized under the aegis of the President of the Gabonese Republic, Head of State, HE Ali Bongo Ondimba, and the President of the French Republic, HE Emmanuel Macron, the holding of this Summit was decided during COP27 in November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. Obviously, this is a crucial moment for climate action and the preservation of biodiversity.
Although the region is the least contributor to global carbon emissions, countries in sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by climate change. From the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, passing through the south of the continent, all these areas are suffering the devastating effects of slow-onset temperature changes and increasing natural hazards.
The purpose of this Summit is therefore to promote solidarity between the three major global forest basins, namely: the Amazonian forest, the Congo Ogooué basin and the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
By sequestering hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO², these forest basins play a critical role in regulating the climate. Through the exceptional fauna and flora they contain, they are home to treasures of biodiversity. And by acting as buffers between human societies and the microbial cycles of wild spaces, they help prevent the appearance of new epidemics.
Thus, with 88% forest cover, Gabon is a pioneer in the protection of its natural resources by voluntarily committing to protect a third of its natural land and sea areas. In this case, Gabon’s forests sequester an average of 100 million tonnes of carbon per year. It is therefore not by chance that Libreville and Paris affirm their common will to commit themselves to the benefit of this noble cause, because of the inestimable natural services rendered to the local populations and in terms of climate regulation on the scale of the planet.
This summit is an exceptional opportunity to advance and renew a collective ambition regarding the preservation and sustainable management of forests, which are essential to address interrelated global challenges, foremost among which are climate change and the loss of biodiversity.
In addition, the promotion of North-South solidarity is crucial for the protection of these vital reserves.
In fact, the One Forest Summit intends to commit to concrete and tangible results, in particular:
The advancement of knowledge and the promotion of scientific cooperation on forest ecosystems;
Promoting sustainable value chains in the forestry sector
Developing innovative funding sources by exploring market-based biodiversity conservation solutions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As you know, this international meeting takes place the day after the designation, by the 22nd Summit of Heads of State of the CEAAC, of His Excellency Ali BONGO ONDIMBA as President-in-Office of this organization.
For 48 hours, Libreville will host a dozen Heads of State and Government as well as many personalities from the political, academic and scientific worlds from all continents.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to take the opportunity of this press conference to present my sincere apologies and thank you for your patience due to the cancellation of the press briefing initially scheduled.
On this, I stand ready to provide the answers you want to have on the issues of this great environmental mass, but also on other issues relating to national news.
Thank you.