Advancing Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure: Outcomes from COP16 and COP29

Baku, 24 November 2024 – At CBD COP16 and UNFCCC COP29, the Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) convened high-level events focused on securing Indigenous Peoples, and local communities’ forest tenure. These gatherings brought together Indigenous leaders, local communities, government representatives, and philanthropies to accelerate progress towards strengthening land tenure security and forest management rights for Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent local communities in tropical forests.

Discussions featured contributions from ministers and senior officials from Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Germany, Norway, Peru, UK, USA, and key entities, such as the Global Alliance for Territorial Communities, the Global Environment Facility, the Land Tenure Facility, Rights and Resources Initiative, Bezos Earth Fund, and the Christensen Fund. Participants outlined critical steps for financial and political action, reaffirming the key role played by Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in achieving climate and biodiversity targets:

1. Developing financial and political ambition together. The events focused on two interrelated topics. First, a review of progress and next steps for the funders who committed USD 1.7 billion at UNFCCC COP26 to advancing support for Indigenous Peoples, and local communities’ tenure rights and forest guardianship in tropical forest countries. Second, leaders from tropical forest country governments and indigenous organizations called on the development of an inter-governmental political commitment to advance support for land tenure recognition.

These commitments could signify major progress by COP30 which Brazil noted would aim to be the COP with the largest participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representatives in history. Participants noted that it is critical to work with Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, if we are to reach the 2030 goal to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation, and that deforestation rates are almost always lower in areas managed by Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. 

2. Successful experiences and commitments from tropical forest countries. High level representatives from Brazil, Colombia, Ghana and Peru, showcased their progress and ambitions.  Speakers noted that land recognition and protection is a mitigation measure because it is one of the most important strategies to protect forests and avoid deforestation. For example, a critical aspect of Peru’s NDC is a goal to assign rights in 11 million hectares of uncategorized land in the Amazon, including land rights for Indigenous Peoples’ territories. Implementing these policies will require collaboration with global, national and regional partners. Colombia highlighted to need to work with indigenous authorities to secure the permanence of forests.

3. Implementation challenges. Several challenges to recognizing land tenure were outlined by participants. These included: a) providing good quality and robust data to support land mapping, b) supporting an integrated approach to land tenure recognition across ministries, c) increasing convening and understanding between local, national and international partners, and d) supporting adequate legal frameworks to assure judicial system recognition of Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. In addition, it was noted that a lack of clarity of ownership can impact access to financing.  

4. Renewed financial pledge. In Glasgow, the first financial commitment was launched by countries and philanthropic organizations to support forest tenure and guardianship for Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in tropical forests. Funders report that they have disbursed USD 1.33 billion during the first 3 years of the pledge and expect to exceed the USD 1.7 billion target before the end of 2025. Full report on results and progress can be read here: Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure Pledge Annual Report 2023–2024 | Land Portal. Event participants hoped that the commitment to secure Indigenous Peoples, and local communities land tenure from tropical forest countries can be accompanied by a second commitment for technical and financial support that takes into account the lessons learned described in the report. Speakers outlined an intention to do so, and to consult with indigenous leaders as part of this process.

Invitation to collaborate. Subsequent to these convenings, Norway and Peru have invited countries to work together in the next 10 months to develop a commitment to scale-up the recognition of forest tenure rights to a number of hectares of land for Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in tropical forest countries. This work will happen in parallel with the work to deliver a new financial pledge from the Forest Tenure Funders Group.

To date, the following countries have agreed to work together to deliver a high ambition outcome at COP30:

Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Fiji, Germany, Ghana, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Tanzania, United Kingdom.

If you would like to work together to support this ambition, please get in touch with the secretariat@forestclimateleaders.org.      

Photo: Cali, October 31 2024: Ministerial Dialogue of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Platform to support Forest Climate Action (c) FCLP