Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the role of Indigenous Peoples in sustainable forest management and global climate action. Speaking at the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) forum during COP30 UNFCCC, the Indonesian delegation emphasized that customary forests are not only vital for ecosystem integrity but also serve as the living space of Indigenous communities who have safeguarded forests for generations. These forests form the foundation of community livelihoods, serve as ecological guardians, uphold traditional knowledge, and provide mechanisms for resolving conflicts involving communities in and around forest areas.
Indigenous communities possess rich traditional knowledge and sustainable land management practices, including agroforestry, reforestation, and culturally grounded forest stewardship. These practices significantly contribute to climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and carbon sequestration. For this reason, Indonesia stressed the importance of integrating traditional knowledge into public policy to ensure state recognition and protection.
Indonesia highlighted how sacred forest concepts—such as larangan harangan, wana ngkiki, and other customary sacred zones—have been translated into national forest protection categories, including protected forests. Safeguarding these living spaces is essential to ensure that traditional practices continue to be exercised by communities in situ and preserved for future generations.
The government reiterated its commitment to strengthening the recognition of Indigenous rights through the designation of customary forests under the Social Forestry Program. During COP30 UNFCCC, the Minister of Forestry announced Indonesia’s pledge to formally recognize 1.4 million hectares of customary forests within the next four years. This commitment is supported by empirical studies showing that community-managed forests can reduce deforestation rates by 30–50%.
To accelerate progress, the government established a Task Force for the Acceleration of Customary Forest Recognition in March 2025. To date, a total of 70,688 hectares of customary forests have been officially recognized under the Ministry of Forestry. The government emphasized that empowering Indigenous Peoples must be accompanied by equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms to ensure long-term sustainability of forest management.
At the LCIPP forum, Indonesia also encouraged the development of a global database documenting local management practices, traditions, and Indigenous knowledge across countries. Indonesia expressed its readiness to continue supporting the work of LCIPP—both through government efforts and participation from Indigenous representatives—as part of its contribution to traditional knowledge–based climate action.
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