Kinshasa, May 27th, 2025 (CPA).- Greenpeace, an international NGO, has called for immediate action and global recognition to strengthen the role of indigenous communities in the world’s three major forest basins (Amazonia, the Congo Basin and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in South-East Asia), at the First World Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities being held from May 26th to 30th in Congo Brazzaville, CPA learnt in a press release on Tuesday. ‘Greenpeace demanded global recognition and immediate action to strengthen the role of indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples and local communities have been the true custodians of these lands for generations. They use ancestral knowledge and sustainable practices that are essential in the fight against climate change’, the statement said.
According to the source, the forests of the Amazon, the Congo Basin and the Borneo-Mekong-Papua Basin of South-East Asia are cradles of biodiversity and cultural heritage. These ecosystems are key to the planet’s climate stability, but they are under constant threat from deforestation, illegal logging, land grabbing and extractive industries. This historic gathering in Brazzaville brings together indigenous leaders, community representatives, conservationists and international allies determined to defend the world’s most vital forest ecosystems.
According to Romulo Batista, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Brazil, quoted in the press release, indigenous peoples in the Amazon have preserved millions of hectares of forest thanks to their traditional ecological knowledge. ‘It’s time for international leaders and donors to respect our sovereignty and invest in our solutions, instead of just extracting resources from our lands’, he said.
The NGO’s press release also quoted Amos Sumbung, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia, who pointed out that forests in South-East Asia are being destroyed faster than ever before. The largest remaining forest in this region is Papua – Indonesia, which must not be destroyed and must be defended at all costs. Indigenous leadership is the only way to stop this destruction. This gathering must mark a turning point: the voices of indigenous peoples and local communities must be heard and their rights taken into account as a priority in global climate policies.
Call for respect for land rights
As a fervent defender of environmental justice and the rights of indigenous peoples, Greenpeace issued a press release calling on the global community, governments, international organizations and civil society to recognize and ensure respect for the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, and to finance and implement measures for the conservation and sustainable management of forests led by indigenous peoples. ‘The aim is to integrate indigenous knowledge into climate and biodiversity policies at all levels, and to commit to concrete measures to protect forests and the cultures that depend on them’, says the press release.