Image
Across the world, customary land systems are central to achieving climate and biodiversity goals.
Indigenous Peoples and other customary communities collectively manage an estimated 5.5 billion hectares of land - covering 42 per cent of the planet’s terrestrial surface - including over 1.1 billion hectares of intact forests and 45 gigatons of irrecoverable carbon, equivalent to more than a third of the global total, according to recent analysis by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Land Coalition (ILC) and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).
These territories are among the most stable, biodiverse, and carbon-rich on Earth. Yet, despite their critical role in sustaining forests that underpin key water services and carbon sinks, analysis shows that 20per cent of forests in customary lands remain without formal recognition. Globally, around 8 per cent of customary land is understood to be unrecognized.
Strengthening land and resource tenure in these territories is therefore essential for the success of REDD+ and other forest-based climate solutions, ensuring that the communities who have long protected these ecosystems can fully participate in, benefit from, and lead the global transition toward sustainable, low-carbon development. In order to reinforce the benefits of secure land tenure and responsible land governance for combating deforestation, protecting biodiversity, and addressing climate change, the stewardship role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities needs to be strengthened.
While more can be done – efforts are ongoing at country, regional and global level, including supported by complementary and synergetic resources ranging from Green climate fund (GCF) financed projects to the UN-REDD Programme and affiliated AIM4Forests initiative.
In the Congo Basin, FAO and the Réseau des Peuples Autochtones et Locaux pour la Gestion des Écosystèmes Forestiers d’Afrique Centrale (REPALEAC) are working to turn this vision into action, including through the recent co-establishment of a Francophone Community of Practice (CoP) on land tenure and governance.
The CoP is a technical network supported through AIM4forests funding and links Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, public institutions, and development partners. Based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) the CoP offers a practical mechanism for peer learning and regional cooperation. It forms part of a broader Global Technical Mechanism (GTM) which provides direct technical assistance, capacity development and project management support to Indigenous Peoples and customary communities across a wide range of areas — including land governance, participatory mapping, social protection, legal empowerment, policy dialogue, and applied research. All are aimed at strengthening land and resource governance, linking tenure security to biodiversity protection, climate mitigation, and the sustainable management and monitoring of forests and natural resources.
The CoP will develop three modalities of work: i) strengthening of the technical capacities of community organizations and public institutions in the fields of land tenure and governance; ii) strengthening the technical knowledge management and data information systems of these organisations, ensuring alignment of approaches and tools regarding land tenure and governance; iii) effectively accompany applying acquired skills and technical capacities on the ground to transform capacity into measurable impact for Indigenous Peoples and other customary communities.
Beyond regional exchanges and south-south learning, selected countries are striving to advance the Indigenous Peoples Land Tenure Pledge (ILTC). An example of such efforts come from Peru, which – through FAO/UN-REDD technical assistance - has strengthened multi-stakeholder capacities and process to enhance the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' land rights. This includes engagement with regional governments in the Amazon and key Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, and consultation to identify national targets, barriers, and opportunities for land titling. These actions contributed to Peru's national commitment and roadmap for the ILTC, reinforcing the country's path toward secure land tenure as a foundation for forest conservation and climate action.
Pledges to further boost legal recognition and strengthening of land and resource tenure in Indigenous Peoples territories are expected - and hoped for – during COP30. This is not just a social imperative but a cornerstone for the success of REDD+ and halting and reversing deforestation efforts more broadly. By aligning global climate finance and national commitments with the recognition of territorial rights, governments and partners can accelerate both climate mitigation and social justice.
Ultimately, securing land rights is securing our planet’s future.
Originally published at un-redd.org