The Republic of Congo opened a national campaign Nov. 6 to build support for a United Nations (U.N.) decade on afforestation and reforestation, which is scheduled to run from 2027 through 2036.
President Denis Sassou N’Guesso urged U.N. member states, international organizations, businesses and technical partners to back practical projects, make financing accessible and establish clear ways to assess results. He said the initiative should help restore forests.
At a press conference before the launch, Forest Economy Minister Rosalie Matondo said organizers planned to plant more than 200,000 trees on Nov. 6. The ministry also outlined a youth program and conferences on afforestation and reforestation that would travel across the country.
On April 16, 2025, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the 2027-2036 decade, by a vote of 155 to one. The resolution names halting and reversing forest-cover loss as an objective. It says implementation should rely on voluntary contributions, including support from the private sector.
The Forest Economy Ministry says related work is intended to provide young people with employment, skills and income. A Congolese government speech traces the initiative to a proposal Sassou N’Guesso made at the U.N. climate summit COP27 in November 2022.
