A presentation by the Rainforest Foundation UK and Réseau Ressources Naturelles (RRN).

To be sustainable, nature conservation must also support the rights, livelihoods and cultures of local communities. International conservation organisations recognise this, but have these good intentions been reflected in efforts to protect Africa’s rainforests?

A group of experts will discuss the evidence that conservation in the Congo Basin region of Africa has failed to recognise basic human rights, undermined poor people’s livelihoods, and caused widespread conflict with local communities. The effectiveness of current protected areas and conservation policy will be considered, and the speakers will discuss whether a new conservation paradigm is needed to protect both forests and peoples’ rights.

Speakers:

• Simon Counsell
  
  Executive Director,
  
  Rainforest Foundation UK
• Joe Eisen
  
  Research and Policy Coordinator
  
  Rainforest Foundation UK
• Blaise Mudodosi Muhigwa
  
  Policy Coordinator
  
  RRN, DRC
• Kenneth Angu
  
  Regional Forest Programme Coordinator,
  
  IUCN, Cameroon