The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
OUR FOREST, A UNIVERSAL ENGINE THAT SAVES LIVES
Gabonese Republic
What are we doing to preserve the Earth for future generations with abundant and diverse lives:
Women’s voices and actions for Biodiversity: Perspectives from the Global South toward a Sustainable Future
As part of the theme week of Expo 2025 (Osaka, Japan) dedicated to the future of the Earth and biodiversity, Gabon is organizing a multi-stakeholder dialogue in the form of a roundtable on the crucial role of women in biodiversity conservation and enhancement.
Women play a central role in the daily management of natural resources, the transmission of environmental knowledge, and the restoration of ecosystems, particularly in the Congo Basin. Yet, their traditional knowledge remains poorly recognized in public policies, and they are disproportionately affected by environmental changes, due to their heavy dependence on local resources.
In light of these observations, Gabon is initiating a multi-actor dialogue to highlight women’s contribution to biodiversity conservation. This event aims to showcase initiatives led by women and emphasize their participation in environmental decision-making processes, particularly in countries of the Global South. The dialogue will bring together institutional representatives and grassroots women leaders for a constructive exchange on policies and actions that promote gender integration in the sustainable management of natural resources.
Discussion
- Climate change
- Biodiversity
- Woodland regeneration
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | Provided |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
-
Track Programme
- Time and
Date of
the event -
-
2025.09.23[Tue]
18:00 ～ 20:30
(Venue Open 17:30)
-
- Venue
- Theme Weeks Studio
Programme details
【Issues】
• Underrepresentation in decision-making bodies (less than 15% in leadership positions)
• Limited access to land (less than 20% of landowners in Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Weak recognition of traditional knowledge and disproportionate impacts of environmental changes
【Objectives】
General Objectives:
Identify concrete levers of action to strengthen women’s participation in environmental decision-making processes.
Specific objectives:
• Analysis of obstacles and opportunities
• Experience sharing
• Formulation of recommandations
• Creation of Synergies
【Agenda】
18:00：Start of the Roundtable
18:05 – 18:10 (5 min)
Welcome Address by Ms. Nina ABOUNA, Commissioner General for Gabonese Expositions
18:10 – 18:15 (5 min)
Screening of images and videos
18:15 – 18:45 (30 min)
Interventions by institutional panelists
Moderator:Dr. Aurélie Flore KOUMBA PAMBO, Ambassador-at-Large of Gabon for Climate, Environment, and Sustainable Development, Co-Facilitator of the Republic of Gabon in the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) (10 min)
Speakers:Prof. Alfred NGOMANDA, Commissioner General of the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research of Gabon (CENAREST) (10 min)
-Prof. Yuji TAKENOSHITA, Researcher at Okayama University of Science, Japan (10 min)
Contributors:
-Prof. Henry Paul BOUROBOU BOUROBOU, Ethnobotanist (10 min)
-Carla Louise MOUSSET MOUMBOLOU, Scientific Coordinator, ANPN (10 min)
18:45 – 19:15 (30 min)
Interventions by civil society panelists / Field testimonies and experience sharing:
-Ms. Cécile NDJEBET (Congo Basin Regional Network) (10 min)
-Ms. Fanie Rachel MINKO MI NDONG (Representative, Gabon) (10 min)
19:15 – 19:35 (20 min)
Discussions and exchanges
19:35 – 19:55 (20 min)
Formulation of joint recommendations (10 min)
Conclusion (10 min)
19:55
Group photo
20:00 – 20:50 (50 min)
Visit to the Gabon Pavilion and tasting of Made and Created in Gabon products
Reports
【Reflection】
As part of Expo 2025 (Osaka, Japan), during the theme week dedicated to the future of the Earth and biodiversity, Gabon hosted a roundtable titled “Women’s Voices and Actions for Biodiversity: Perspectives from the South Toward a Sustainable Future.” This innovative initiative placed women at the center of the conversation on biodiversity conservation.
Following opening remarks by Gabon’s General Commissioner to Exhibitions, the session unfolded through scientific presentations, community testimonials, and an interactive dialogue. This progression - from policy to practice - offered a cohesive narrative that engaged diverse stakeholders from Gabon, Cameroon, Japan, and Nepal. The composition of the panel balanced between academic expertise and field experience, strengthening dialogue between scientific research and traditional knowledge systems. Co-constructed research protocols emerged as a key mechanism for bridging institutional science with community practices. The discussion also emphasized the integration of ancestral knowledge with modern conservation techniques, the transmission of ecological knowledge across generations, and the institutional commitment to gender-inclusive science - demonstrating that inclusive approaches strengthen environmental governance.
The program addressed systemic challenges: women’s exclusion from decision-making despite their central role as forest stewards, the undervaluation of traditional ecological knowledge, and limited access to conservation financing. These issues reflect the lived realities of women conservationists across the Congo Basin.
The interactive phase ensured broad participation, rather than simply disseminating information from the top down, allowing attendees to share experiences and shape recommendations along with panelists. These were synthesized into three strategic priorities:
1. Access to financing,
2. Capacity building and leadership and
3. Conservation and valorization of knowledge.
The Gabonese initiative succeeded in creating a space for authentic dialogue while maintaining institutional credibility. By combining scientific validation, community insight, and political relevance, it advanced persuasive arguments for transforming conservation practices. It reaffirmed that inclusive conservation is not only a moral imperative - it is a practical necessity. Women are not just beneficiaries; they are central to the solution.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Building on the momentum of the multi-actor dialogue held during Expo 2025 in Osaka, Gabon is committed to transforming the insights and recommendations into tangible, inclusive action. The post-Expo initiative will be structured around three strategic pillars: access to resources, capacity building, and the recognition of traditional knowledge.
1. Expanding access to financing to improve women’s access to environmental funding mechanisms, particularly those supporting biodiversity conservation. Partnerships with regional institutions and international donors will be strengthened to channel support toward community-led initiatives directed by women.
2. Strengthening capacities and leadership, with a dedicated training program has to be launched to ensure that women get technical, strategic, and diplomatic skills in environmental governance. The objective is to amplify their voices in decision-making spaces and strengthen their role as custodians of biodiversity and agents of change.
3. Preserving and integrating traditional ecological knowledge, by implementing a comprehensive framework to promote documentation and integration of women’s traditional knowledge into public policy. Intergenerational platforms could be created to ensure the transmission and visibility of these practices, in collaboration with scientific institutions and local communities.
This roadmap reflects the broader vision toward inclusive and resilient environmental governance where women are not only consulted but fully empowered as strategic actors. By recognizing their expertise and leadership, this initiative seeks to build a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Cast
Moderator
Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo
Roving embassador for Climate, Environment, and Sustainable Development Co-Facilitator of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) on behalf of the Gabonese Republic
Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo holds a PhD in plant biology, with a specialization in cellular and molecular physiology, as well as certifications in biosafety and plant variety protection. After completing postdoctoral research in France, she became a researcher at the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research of Gabon, and later served as Scientific Advisor to the National Agency for National Parks of Gabon.
A member of the National Committee on multilateral environmental agreements, she is an expert in international instruments such as the CBD, CITES, ABS, and CMS. In 2019, she became the first African national to be elected Chair of the CITES Plants Committee. Since 2021, she has held diplomatic responsibilities related to climate, environment, and sustainable development, and in 2023 she was appointed Co-Facilitator of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.
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Speakers
Alfred NGOMANDA
General Commissioner of the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CENAREST)
Professor Alfred NGOMANDA is a Gabonese ecologist and researcher, specialized in tropical forests, climate, and biodiversity. He holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and has devoted his career to studying forest dynamics in the Congo Basin, carbon sequestration, and nature-based solutions.
Former Director of the Institute for Research in Tropical Ecology (IRET), he is currently the General Commissioner of the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CENAREST), the national institution that coordinates research institutes and guides Gabon’s scientific strategy.
He played a key role in the international certification of Gabon’s carbon credits, establishing the country as a global leader in carbon neutrality through the net absorption of about 100 million tons of CO₂ per year. His work has strengthened the scientific credibility of Gabon’s climate and forest policies.
Internationally recognized, he actively participates in major forums (UNFCCC COP, Kunming-Montreal GBF, Congo Basin Science Panels) and collaborates with numerous partners (NASA, JICA-JST, ITTO, CBSI). He is also strongly committed to training young researchers and developing new Master’s degrees and innovative research programs.
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Yuji TAKENOSHITA
Okayama Professor, University of Science Faculty of Science Department of Zoology
I am Pr. Yuji TAKENOSHITA, from Japan. Researcher at Okayama University of Science, Department of Zoology. I hold a Doctorate in Biological Sciences at the Graduate School of Sciences of Kyoto University, Japan and my field research was at Loango National Park, Gabon. I am the first Japanese researcher who visited Moukalaba Doudou National Park in 1999. Until Now, I continue to conduct my research on gorillas at Moukalaba.
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Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet
Regional Network of the Congo Basin
Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet is an agronomist and social forester from rural Cameroon who specializes in women’s leadership with a PhD on “Gender relations, access to land, and women’s socioeconomic status in the rural littoral in Cameroon”. With more than 33 years of advocacy, Cécile extensive experience includes work that addresses gender’s intersection with land tenure, conservation, climate change, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+).
She was recently named a Champion of the Earth for Inspiration and Action by the United Nations Environment Programme following three decades of advocacy for women’s land rights in Africa. Cameroon Ecology, an organization she co-founded in 2001, has restored over 800 hectares of degraded land and mangrove forest.
In 2009, she founded the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF), which encourages the representation of women’s interests in environmental policies across 20 African countries. Wangari Maathai Forests Champion 2022, Cécile was elected Climate Change Champion of the Central African Commission on Forests in 2012 and served as a member of the advisory board of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
In 2023 Cécile was the co-winner of The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity and named Ramsar 2024 Women Changemakers in the World of Wetlands. In March this year, Cécile was awarded the prestigious KEW International Medal by the UK Royal Society.
Cécile serves as a member of a good number of networks and professional societies at national, regional and global levels.
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Bharati Pathak
Representative of Local Communities, FECOFUN Member of the GSC, Nepal
Bharati Pathak is a member of the Global Steering Committee of the Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) for Nepal, Chairperson of the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), and focal point for FECOFUN’s Gender Policy and Advocacy Program. She holds a Master’s degree in Rural Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities. For decades, she has worked to advance women’s rights and community rights over natural resources, as well as conservation. Bharati has also served as chairperson of ASHMITA Nepal, a Nepali NGO dedicated to the rights and empowerment of rural women.
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CARLA LOUISE MOUSSET MOUMBOLOU
Conservation biologist
Carla Louise MOUSSET MOUMBOLOU is a Gabonese conservation biologist and biodiversity expert with more than ten years of experience in protecting wildlife and ecosystems in Central Africa. She currently serves as Scientific Coordinator and national focal point for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Nagoya Protocol at the National Agency for National Parks (ANPN), where she plays a key role in defining research priorities and supporting the implementation of international environmental agreements.
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Fanie Rachel Minko Mi Ndong
Organizer in 2024 the First International Days of Cosmétopée
Fanie Rachel Minko Mi Ndong, born in 1978 in Libreville, Gabon, has devoted her career to rural development and innovation. After joining Dysolab at the University of Rouen Normandy in 2012, she co-founded the Association for the Development of Nyonié, representing villagers in negotiations over a resort project. As secretary-general of the Komo Agro-Pastoral Cooperative, she helped launch a lemongrass plantation that inspired the Higher Christian Institute of Agronomy and Rural Engineering (ISCA-IR). She later drove the creation of the Gabon Cosmetic Cluster and, in 2024, organised the First International Days of Cosmétopée, advancing sustainable growth in Gabon.
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The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
OUR FOREST, A UNIVERSAL ENGINE THAT SAVES LIVES
What are we doing to preserve the Earth for future generations with abundant and diverse lives:
Women’s voices and actions for Biodiversity: Perspectives from the Global South toward a Sustainable Future
As part of the theme week of Expo 2025 (Osaka, Japan) dedicated to the future of the Earth and biodiversity, Gabon is organizing a multi-stakeholder dialogue in the form of a roundtable on the crucial role of women in biodiversity conservation and enhancement.
Women play a central role in the daily management of natural resources, the transmission of environmental knowledge, and the restoration of ecosystems, particularly in the Congo Basin. Yet, their traditional knowledge remains poorly recognized in public policies, and they are disproportionately affected by environmental changes, due to their heavy dependence on local resources.
In light of these observations, Gabon is initiating a multi-actor dialogue to highlight women’s contribution to biodiversity conservation. This event aims to showcase initiatives led by women and emphasize their participation in environmental decision-making processes, particularly in countries of the Global South. The dialogue will bring together institutional representatives and grassroots women leaders for a constructive exchange on policies and actions that promote gender integration in the sustainable management of natural resources.
-
2025.09.23[Tue]
18:00～20:30
(Venue Open 17:30)
- Theme Weeks Studio
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
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The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
