Held as part of the celebration of the African and global decade of reforestation, this conference was organized by the African Union Commission, the United Nations Forum on Forests, the African Forest Forum and the Government of the Republic of Congo.  The main objective is to increase the global forest area and that of the Congo Basin in particular, through afforestation and reforestation activities. This in order to preserve habitats and biodiversity; support and maximize the production of goods and services provided by forests, and increase the capacity of atmospheric carbon sequestration in the fight against climate change.