This was conveyed at an Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment session of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, on Monday.
The ministry's Director of Tenurial and Customary Forest Conflict Resolution, Julmansyah, stated in a statement received on Tuesday that Indonesia is committed to ensuring the recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).
"IPLCs play a key role in shaping traditional knowledge, sustainable practices, and the management of vital ecosystems, including contributing to climate action," he said at the forum.
He stated that as of October 2025, the social forestry designation in Indonesia has reached more than 8.3 million hectares, which have been legally distributed to be managed by over 1.4 million households.
As part of the program, 164 customary forest decrees have been distributed, with a total area of 345,257 hectares managed by 87,963 households.
The government is also preparing national strategic plans, including the development of a roadmap to accelerate the achievement of customary forest recognition, scheduled to be launched in December 2025.
At COP30, Indonesia officially announced its commitment to accelerate the recognition of customary forests, with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni formally announcing the commitment to recognize 1.4 million hectares of customary forests over the next four years.
According to him, this commitment is a strategic step to position IPLCs as key pillars in national climate action.
On that occasion, Julmansyah also emphasized the importance of collaboration and shared leadership in climate action, affirming that Indonesia is committed to taking a leadership role and welcomes further cooperation to enhance IPLC participation.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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