ECOWAS’s Forest Future: Commissioner TOURE LITSE Champions Regional Sustainability at UN Forum By Raymond Enoch
In the towering halls of the United Nations headquarters, amid global calls for urgent climate action, one voice from West Africa rang clear and resolute. It belonged to Massandjé TOURE LITSE, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, who carried with her not just policy papers, but the collective vision of an entire region determined to safeguard its forests—and its future.
Representing ECOWAS at the 20th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), TOURE LITSE did more than speak; she inspired. Over five days, from May 5 to 9, she echoed the aspirations of millions across West Africa, reaffirming the region’s steadfast commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and ECOWAS Vision 2050—a blueprint for a greener, more resilient future.
“We are not just protecting trees,” she said in her address. “We are preserving livelihoods, cultures, and the environmental backbone of our economies.”
At the heart of her message was a suite of progressive regional frameworks: the Forest Convergence Plan (2013), which set the stage for harmonized forest governance; the Forest Investment Plan (2016), which mobilizes resources for sustainable development; and most recently, the 2023 Regional Strategy against the Illegal Wildlife Trade—a bold move against ecological exploitation.
But TOURE LITSE’s impact extended beyond the forum podium. In a significant sideline meeting, she sat down with Madame Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together, they explored a shared vision for South-South collaboration, recognizing that Africa’s forests do not follow borders—and neither should the solutions.
In an era where deforestation continues to threaten biodiversity, climate stability, and rural livelihoods, TOURE LITSE’s presence at the UNFF was more than symbolic. It was a declaration: West Africa is not waiting to be rescued; it is leading the charge.
As the session drew to a close, one thing became clear—through leaders like Massandjé TOURE LITSE, ECOWAS is planting more than policies. It is sowing the seeds of a sustainable legacy.
