Théophile Gata is the Executive Director of the Centre d’Appui à la Gestion Durable des Forêts Tropicales (CAGDFT), a leading Congolese NGO advancing community forestry and sustainable forest management. With over 15 years of experience in natural resource governance, he has been instrumental in securing the recognition and legal protection of Concessions Forestières des Communautés Locales (CFCL) across the DRC. He engages in national and international policy platforms to advocate for indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights, inclusive forest governance, and innovative climate finance. He also serves on the National Advisory Committee of the Community Fund for Forests.