DRC: Land reforms, conservation and the rights of indigenous peoples at the heart of a multi-stakeholder dialogue in Kinshasa
The workshop, organised by the NGO APEM and the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), aimed to explore ways of strengthening the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities within the reforms currently underway.
Discussions focused in particular on the implementation of the new land law of December 2025, reforms relating to forests, nature conservation and land use planning, as well as mechanisms for consultation and free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Several participants emphasised that these reforms present significant opportunities, but that they also risk exacerbating land conflicts, institutional overlaps and legal uncertainty if safeguards regarding customary rights, participation and redress are not clearly guaranteed.
The discussions also highlighted the implications of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park issue and the need to better integrate the principles of reparation, territorial recognition and co-management into conservation policies. More broadly, participants called for better coordination between land, forestry, mining and environmental policies to prevent contradictions between legal frameworks from continuing to fuel tensions over land and natural resources. This dialogue thus reignites debates on the links between conservation, environmental justice, territorial governance and the rights of indigenous peoples in a context marked by the acceleration of land and environmental reforms in the DRC.
