Brazzaville: The 32 countries sharing the world`s three largest rainforest basins agreed to cooperate in tackling deforestation and called on industrialised nations to help finance their efforts.
The agreement came yesterday in a declaration at the end of a first meeting in the Congolese capital Brazzaville of experts from the Congo Basin in Central Africa, South
America`s Amazon Basin and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in South-East Asia.
The three basins represent 80 per cent of the world`s rainforests and two-thirds of its biodiversity, according to experts.
Participating nations agreed in a declaration to "put forward their common interest in the framework of different multilateral forums" and to "adopt concrete measures to promote dialogue and cooperation between countries."
Nations acknowledged "the links between deforestation and forest degradation as well as socio-economic issues such as sustainability and poverty reduction."
The declaration also called on the international community to "support their efforts" and help provide "long-term and transparent financing for a durable forest management."
Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso said the agreement would help provide "a new dynamism... of solidarity between the basins."
Bureau Report
