REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BELEM -- Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to speeding up the recognition of indigenous forests and expanding access to inclusive funding for indigenous communities. Chief Advisor to the Forestry Minister, Silverius Oscar Unggul, said the minister has set a goal to accelerate the recognition of 1.4 million hectares of indigenous forests over the next four years.
Silverius conveyed this target, which was reiterated by the President’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Energy, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, at the Leaders Summit in Belém on November 6, 2025.
He explained that since March 2025, the Ministry of Forestry has formed a Task Force for Accelerating Indigenous Forest Licensing. The task force includes non-profit organizations, academics, indigenous community representatives, and government officials.
According to him, the task force was composed inclusively, ensuring gender balance and representation from all regions of Indonesia. Its mandate is to ensure that the licensing process is accelerated in a way that is fast, fair, and transparent. Beyond legal recognition, Silverius stressed that strengthening the economic resilience of indigenous peoples after their forests are formally recognized is a crucial pillar of sustainability.
In a statement issued Monday (17/11/2025), Silverius noted that the government is preparing two funding schemes: grants for institutional strengthening and community capacity development, and low-interest bank financing with longer grace periods for groups that are institutionally ready.
The government is also improving market access for indigenous communities through the implementation of an MoU between Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and KADIN Indonesia Chairman Anindya Bakrie.
Silverius again expressed Indonesia’s support for Brazil’s initiative through the Tropical Forests Financing Facility (TFFF), a collaborative effort among tropical forest nations to safeguard the world’s climate strongholds.
“Indonesia is ready to walk alongside Brazil. Tropical forests are the world’s climate strongholds, and indigenous peoples are their guardians. Global cooperation is essential,” he said at the international forum “Forest Solutions: Action for Forests and Direct Access to Finance for Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities,” hosted by Greenpeace aboard the Rainbow Warrior on Saturday (15/11/2025).
The forum began with a screening of the documentary Juruá — Memories of a River, which portrays the struggle of communities along Brazil’s Juruá River to protect their forests and cultural identity. After the screening, a panel discussion brought together indigenous leaders, policymakers, and environmental experts from various countries.
Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika