Stop the carve up of the Congo forests

Since the re-establishment of relative stability in the DRC, international agencies such as the World Bank are attempting to quickly rebuild the country's economy. DRC's rainforests, which are second in size only to Amazonia, are seen as a potential source of income.

Since 2003 the World Bank has provided millions of dollars of support to the Congolese government to reform forestry laws and governance. Of over forty detailed decrees that should set out exactly how the forests are to be managed, only two have been officially signed; virtually no progress has been made in developing decrees that protect community rights. Plans to produce a proper zoning plan for the forests have been dropped. A government moratorium on issuing logging concessions has been widely violated. Four years on from the passing of a new Forest Code very few people in the Congo, least of all people actually living in and depending on the forest, are aware of their rights under this law. Despite commitments to the contrary, there has been virtually no consultation by the World Bank with non-governmental organisations or citizens' groups.

With your help, the campaign to hold the World Bank to account, has started to make progress. Since 2003 we have written letters to Bank officials, made presentations to World Bank executive directors and asked questions in Parliament in the UK. In DRC, local organisations have also written letters of protest and attempted to discuss their concerns with World Bank and government officials. Because their concerns have not been addressed, in November 2005 they submitted a complaint to the World Bank Inspection Panel. This year, the Bank has responded by committing to a series of key principles on community consultation, community rights, proper participatory zoning and upholding the moratorium on issuing new logging concessions in DRC. The Bank has also accepted mistakes made in not triggering their own internal ‘safeguard policies’, such as those designed to protect indigenous peoples. The Bank also admits that it was a mistake to link its funding to the opening of new areas for industrial logging.

Despite these important breakthroughs, there is much to be done. Changing rhetoric is one thing, but now Congolese communities need to see real progress in protecting their rights. Please help us to ensure that the World Bank’s new rhetoric is followed-up with action.