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LOGGING OFF: PLANS TO LIFT THE DRC LOGGING MORATORIUM THREATEN FOREST PROTECTION EFFORTS IN THE CONGO BASIN
A civil society briefing warning that plans to lift the DRC’s national logging moratorium could open vast areas of Congo Basin rainforest to industrial logging, threatening forests, climate goals and community rights, and calling for greater emphasis on community-led, sustainable forest management.
Coalition warns of plan to open tens of millions of hectares of DRC’s forests to timber industry
Kinshasa, 6 July 2026 – A coalition of more than 70 environmental and human rights organisations are calling on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to maintain the national moratorium on the allocation of new industrial logging concessions. Through an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister [1], the coalition urges … Read more
NGOs welcome UK progress on urgently needed deforestation rules
The UK government has announced its intention to publish regulations on ending the UK’s consumption of commodities grown on illegally deforested land. A consultation on the regulations will be launched shortly. The government and has also signalled its longer-term intention to require products to be produced free from any deforestation, as the EU has done. … Read more
Community Forest Success in North Kivu, Against All the Odds
In the forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region that has endured years of insecurity and uncertainty, an incredible story of community resilience is unfolding. On 2 June 2026, the Masombea community in Lubero Territory, North Kivu, officially secured legal recognition of its community forest (Concession Forestière des Communautés Locales, … Read more
A 2033 vision for a new era of rainforest protection
RFUK’s 2033 Vision: A New Era of Rainforest Protection sets out our roadmap for the next decade of rainforest conservation. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience working alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities, the vision outlines how combining community-led action with systemic change, innovative technology and stronger partnerships can drive action at the scale … Read more
2033 Vision: A New Era of Rainforest Protection
For more than three decades, RFUK has worked alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities to protect tropical forests. Over this time, it has become increasingly clear that the most effective and equitable way to safeguard rainforests is to support the people who have lived in and cared for them for generations. This belief is at … Read more
Investing in local governance: a proven pathway to resilient forest communities in the Congo Basin
Insights from RFUK’s recent field mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo. RFUK’s recent field mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reaffirmed a critical lesson for conservation and development partners: strong local governance drives some of the most effective and sustainable outcomes for building resilient forest communities. Across Kinshasa and the Equateur province, … Read more
Protecting those who protect the forest: RFUK publishes new guidance to support community defenders in the Congo Basin
Deep in the forests of the Congo Basin, documenting illegal logging, or other illegal extractive activities, can come at a cost. Community observers, many of them volunteers, set out to monitor forest activity to protect their lands, defend their rights and ensure that forest laws are respected, knowing they may face intimidation, threats or even … Read more
Indigenous forest observers drive action against illegal mining in the Peruvian Amazon
New results from the Madre de Dios region in southeastern Peru’s Amazon Basin show how Indigenous-led monitoring is protecting forests, influencing policy and confronting rising threats. RFUK’s Peru Coordinator, Daniela Velit, recently visited Puerto Maldonado, the capital city of the Madre de Dios region, and saw first-hand how RFUK’s project alongside Indigenous rights organisation FENAMAD is … Read more
RFUK shares findings of gender study highlighting opportunities and barriers for women in forest governance in the Republic of Congo
RFUK is sharing findings from a new gender study examining women’s participation in forest governance and community-based monitoring in the Republic of Congo. The study was conducted as part of the FISONG project, “Legal capacities and participation of environmental defenders in the Republic of Congo“, a programme implemented since 2022 by a consortium led by … Read more
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