Nine countries promise to formally recognize 395 million acres of indigenous land by 2030 in historic climate summit agreement

In a groundbreaking move for Indigenous rights and environmental protection, nine tropical nations have committed to formally recognizing 160 million hectares (395 million acres) of Indigenous and traditional community lands by 2030. The pledge was announced November 7 at the World Leaders Summit in Belém, Brazil, held in advance of the U.N. Climate Change Conference.

The Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment (ILTC) represents the first time countries have jointly agreed to expand land tenure recognition for Indigenous and traditional land stewards. Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed on so far, with Brazil alone committing to recognize at least 59 million hectares—more than one-third of the total pledge. Detailed country-by-country breakdowns are expected to be released November 17.

This commitment addresses a critical gap in land rights recognition worldwide. According to the Rights and Resources Initiative, Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and traditional communities protect over 1.3 billion hectares globally, yet only 11% of this land is formally recognized as theirs across 73 analyzed countries. Such recognition is crucial for both human rights and environmental conservation, as Indigenous-managed lands often contain some of the world’s most biodiverse and carbon-rich ecosystems.

The announcement coincided with a renewed $1.8 billion funding pledge from Norway, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, and 35 philanthropic organizations to support land tenure initiatives over the next four years, signaling strong international commitment to linking Indigenous land rights with climate action.