The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), signed a new partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to launch a new project to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the first-ever statement by scientists released today, 40 peatland researchers from 13 countries pressed for an increase in protections for peatlands, as economic development continues to threaten the integrity of these areas—which are rich in biodiversity and a key resource in efforts to limit climate change.

An expanded group of signatories, including key local cocoa exporters, on 2 November joined an innovative landscape-focused collaboration to stimulate the local economy by supporting the production of sustainable cocoa around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR), in Ituri Province.

Today a consortium of farmers, conservation organizations, companies, government bodies, and universities and research institutes announced an innovative landscape-focused collaboration to secure the future of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to stimulate the local economy by supporting the production of sustainable cocoa.