The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has announced three new partnerships to support forest conservation and Indigenous communities in the Amazon, Southeast Asia and the Congo Basin, ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Forests on 21st March.
The collaborations form part of the Foundation’s Forests and Communities Initiative (FCI), which directs support to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) as frontline guardians of forest ecosystems.
The Amazon: protecting 9.4 million hectares
In Brazil, the Foundation is partnering with the Mebêngôkre-Kayapo-led Associação Floresta Protegida to support the Kayapo Project, which safeguards 9.4 million hectares of tropical forest across six Indigenous Territories in south-central Pará and northern Mato Grosso. Running from 2026 to 2028, the partnership will strengthen the Kayapo Forest School — which trains the next generation of Indigenous leaders by combining traditional knowledge with conservation technologies — and a territorial monitoring programme supporting more than 1,500 Kayapo guardians protecting over 2,200 kilometres of territorial borders.
Patkore Kayapo, President of Associação Floresta Protegida, said the initiative would provide essential support for the protection of Kayapo culture, rivers, lands and biodiversity. “The partnership reinforces durable Indigenous governance and autonomy,” he said.
The Congo Basin: community resilience in the DRC
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Foundation is partnering with the Centre for Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Development to implement the PRC-PROZAC project in Equateur Province. The 2026-2028 project will support communities in Bolomba, Basankusu and Mbandaka through reforestation, sustainable agroforestry and income-generating activities designed to reduce pressure on forest ecosystems while improving local livelihoods.
Trésor Bondjembo, Executive Director of CTIDD, described the project as an opportunity to demonstrate that local communities can be placed at the heart of forest conservation and natural resource governance. “This partnership represents a significant responsibility for CTIDD: to demonstrate our commitment to sharing our expertise in support of a just cause — the fight against climate change,” he said.
Southeast Asia: flexible support for 25 community-led initiatives
In Southeast Asia, the Foundation is partnering with the Samdhana Institute to implement the CLENCHED project across the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia. The initiative will provide flexible grants to 25 Indigenous and community-led projects focused on forest conservation, biodiversity protection and tenure security, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the capacity of women, youth and marginalised groups.
Erwin Quinones, Deputy Executive Director for Philippines and Mekong Operations at the Samdhana Institute, welcomed the partnership as an avenue to support community-led conservation and human rights defence across the region.
Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, said the initiative was grounded in the understanding that those who have protected forests for generations must be at the centre of any credible conservation response. “Indigenous peoples are not only guardians of biodiversity; they are key actors in the global response to climate and environmental challenges,” he said.
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo: Kayapo landscape, credit: Simone Giovine