Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Three out of four types of great ape are present in the country — the chimpanzee, gorilla, and bonobo [ ] 91 A new legal arsenal for the environment In the past couple of decades, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has made major advances in the country’s legal arsenal concerning the management of natural resources. The country has promulgated three major laws concerning the funda- mental principles of environmental management, the fundamental principles of agriculture, and the con- servation of nature. These laws bring about important innovations de- signed to have positive repercussions on the management of biodiversity. In particular, the law on the conservation of nature has marked a new turning point in the domain of conservation in the country. The principles underpinning this law notably promote: • The establishment of a national system of protected areas • The participatory management of protected areas • The promotion and protection of traditional knowledge in the realm of conservation • The diversification of sources of funding through, among other things, partnerships with the pri- vate sector • The right of third parties to engage in legal proceedings • The recognition of the repressive regime conferred upon the conser- vationists of protected areas and eco-guards by virtue of their status as paramilitary and judicial police officers. The law regarding the fundamental principles of agriculture ensures that biodiversity is taken into account and is mainstreamed into the agricultural sector. It integrates the agro-ecolog- ical diversities and specificities and aims to favour the sustainable pro- motion of agricultural potential and space, while ensuring consideration for social and environmental aspects. This law is a significant innovation notably because it takes account of the requirements of international instruments relating to the conserva- tion and use of plant genetic resourc- es as well as the protection of the environment. Gorilla group moving through jungle Democratic Republic of the Congo L ocated in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo stands among the 16 countries in the world qualified as megadiverse, as it is characterized by a high rate of endemism. Out of 50,000 known plant species in Africa, the country holds first place in local floristic species. This is the result of both the vastness of its territory (234.5 million ha) and the variety of physical and climatic conditions. Its vegetation is represented by an impressive plant complex ranging from dense forest to grass and tree savannah. Forests represent a biome that contains important habitats for biological diversity, and cover 67 per cent of the country’s territory, representing 10 per cent of the world’s and 47 per cent of Africa’s forests. Davidson Gruaer