It is a great honour to mark the launch of the Congo Basin Forest Fund. Together we are pledging to work together to secure the future of one of the world’s last remaining ancient forests. As the world's second largest rainforest, the Basin houses a quarter of the world's rainforest, but already an area the size of 25,000 football pitches is cleared of trees every week. The UK will be working with local people to help them map their own parts of the rainforest. Linking the latest technology with forest communities in this way will allow people to better look after the rainforest.