COP29 delivers hope for Indigenous rights and forest protection

Baku, 21 November 2024

Today is Indigenous Day at the ongoing 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlighting the role of Indigenous peoples in protecting nature and rainforests. The COP has brought positive developments for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs), in the form of both donor countries and tropical forest governments that have restated their commitment to IP&LCs' rights and committed to new pledges of financial support and land titling by COP30 in 2025.

Since Brazil is the host of next year’s COP and the world’s largest rainforest country, there are a lot of expectations towards Brazil’s ambition for COP30. To that end, Francisco Felipo, advisor to Brazil's Indigenous Peoples Minister Sonia Guajajara, said Brazil's ambition is to make COP30 a historic moment for Indigenous Peoples. In an event hosted by the Forest Climate and Forest Leaders Partnership (FCLP), he emphasized that a new pledge of financial support to IP&LC would be a key part of Brazil's COP30 legacy and underscored that Brazil intends to deliver on this.

Financial commitments from donor countries

The IP&LC Forest Tenure Pledge is a commitment from 25 donors, including the UK, Germany and Norway, to give USD 1.7 billion to support Indigenous peoples and local communities land rights and forest guardianship. The pledge was given at COP26 in 2021 and expires next year.

David Lammy, the UK's Foreign Secretary, reaffirmed the UK's commitment to supporting nature, forests, and IP&LCs as key partners in conservation efforts. Lammy has announced that 1.5 billion out of a total of 11.6 billion Pounds in UK climate finance will be directed towards forests, with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities being key recipients.

Lammy, at a high-level leaders event hosted by FCLP and Ghana, stated;

“If you are a donor – whether from a government like mine or a philanthropic foundation – this is about commitment, and it’s about the long haul. Sustained commitment. Committing to funding for nature, committing to funding for forests, and committing for forest communities, particularly their livelihoods and their rights to protect that nature on our behalf.

Norway and Germany, the current and incoming chairs of the group of 25 donors supporting the IP&LC pledge, both stated their commitment to a more ambitious pledge to be launched at COP30.

A global call to action on Indigenous land rights

Positive developments have also come from rainforest country governments. Peru and Colombia have issued a global "Call to Action" that urges all countries to set a specific target for recognizing Indigenous or local community rights to their ancestral forests by 2030. Both countries stressed the importance of continued international financial support, including extending the IP&LC pledge, to achieve these targets.

“This demonstrates a strong political commitment from Peru and Colombia and should inspire similar actions from other countries, says Torbjørn Gjefsen, international finance advisor at Rainforest Foundation Norway.

Indigenous leaders advocate for more action

At a side event co-hosted by Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), Indigenous leaders discussed the current IP&LC pledge's achievements and outlined priorities for the next iteration. Balkissou Buba, representing the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, emphasized the need for substantial increases in direct funding for IP&LC-led initiatives, calling for recognition of Indigenous decision-making power over resource allocation and support for land rights struggles.

“The challenges we face demand more than symbolic gestures. By 2030, donors must commit to substantial increases in direct funding for IP&LC-led initiatives. This is not just about money—it is about recognizing our right to decide how these resources are used, empowering us to create solutions rooted in our knowledge and priorities. The pledge we want goes beyond funding. It must support our fight for land rights and against violence in our territories, guarantee emergency funding in moments of crisis, and support our ability to protect our people and lands.”, - Balkissou Buba, GATC

Torbjørn Gjefsen from Rainforest Foundation Norway presented updated numbers from the Path to Scale Dashboard, which shows that funding for IP&LCs has increased by 36% since 2020. He also shared results that RFN has contributed to through partnerships with IP&LC organizations, with funding from the current pledge. This includes the recognition of 3.2 million hectares of pristine forest in Peru, home to the world's largest concentration of uncontacted indigenous peoples.

“This shows that the pledge is working. Not only is the funding increasing, but we are also seeing real and significant results on the ground”, Gjefsen stated.

Gjefsen emphasized the need for a new, larger pledge to meet 2030 forest protection targets, as current funding for IP&LCs has stabilized after a significant increase in 2021, according to the Path to Scale dashboard.

A glimpse of hope

COP29 provided a glimmer of hope for Indigenous rights and forest protection and confirmed that it is crucial for the world's effort to stop deforestation by 2030. It sets clear expectations for COP30 in Brazil next year to be a historic moment for Indigenous people’s rights, which requires new and stronger commitments from both donors and tropical forest countries. However, continued efforts are crucial to secure the necessary resources and support.