Congo Basin forests are of great significance to Africa and to the world. They make up the second largest contiguous tropical forest on Earth. Tens of millions of people depend on them directly for their livelihood, hundreds of millions more depend on them indirectly. And these Central African forests are one of the last large wilderness areas on earth, supporting what is now called megabiodiversity.

In this context, the International Conference on the future of Central African Forests and its People was organised on May 31, 2017 in Den Haag by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Global Compact Network – Netherlands, and Tropenbos International. The event brought together participants from government, business, civil society, knowledge and media organizations, and offered a space for experiences and knowledge exchange in the sustainable use of Central African forest landscapes. This report summarizes the key points of the presentations and discussions of the conference.