New York, 24 September 2025 – CAFI marked its 10-year anniversary today during Climate Week NYC with a high-level event entitled “CAFI – 10 Years, 10 Breakthroughs.” The celebration brought together 7 ministers from the DRC, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Congo, France and Gabon and the UNDP Administrator.

Together with senior officials, and international partners, they reflected on a decade of achievements in protecting the world’s second largest rainforest and supporting sustainable development in Central Africa.

A Decade of Impact
Since its establishment in 2015, CAFI has become more than an environmental program: it is a strategic platform for collective action to protect Central African forests, mobilise resources, and align development with climate and biodiversity goals

CAFI is one of the most exciting partnerships we are proud to support,” said Alain Noudehou, Executive Director of the MPTFO. “Over the past decade, CAFI has proven that forest protection and sustainable development can go hand in hand, benefiting both people and the planet.”

High-Level Dialogue

The celebration featured a high-level panel, where ministers highlighted CAFI’s successes, lessons learned, and the path forward.

• The Democratic Republic of Congo Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and the new Climate Economy reflected on how CAFI strengthened the country’s policy reform process, leading to sustainable land use and forest protection, and emphasised the need for national access to the CAFI Fund.

• Germany emphasized the Initiative’s success in mobilising significant funding and partnerships.

• The United Kingdom, as current Chair, calling the Central African forest “too big to fail”, highlighted lessons learned that will guide CAFI’s future priorities

• The Republic of Congo Minister of Forest Economy, Mrs Rosalie Matondo, shared her visions for enhancing impact, scaling innovation, and setting new priorities such as payments for environmental services.

The event also included the launch of a new report showcasing CAFI’s ten most significant breakthroughs, by Mr Haoliang XU, acting UNDP Administrator, who underscored CAFI’s role as a  model for multilateral partnerships that bridge climate action and development.