For the first time in history, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from the world’s major forest basins will gather in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo from May 26-30, 2025.
Over 400 leaders from the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia will present unified demands for direct climate financing and strengthened land rights at the Global Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from the Forest Basin.
The congress comes as new data shows Indigenous-managed territories experience significantly lower deforestation rates. In the Amazon, where COP30 will be hosted, only 1.2% of native vegetation was lost in Indigenous territories between 1985-2020 compared to 90% deforestation elsewhere. “Our forests are not just carbon sinks – they’re our homes and futures,” said Joseph Itongwa, Indigenous leader from the Democratic Republic of Congo and co-chair of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.
The event builds on commitments from COP26 in Glasgow and COP15 in Montreal, aiming to transform past pledges into concrete policies ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
Recent geopolitical setbacks, including fluctuations in international climate finance, have increased urgency for direct funding mechanisms. Research confirms Indigenous territories store approximately 300 billion metric tons of carbon while receiving less than 1% of climate funding. The congress will address this disparity while developing actionable solutions for land titling and legal protections.
The gathering is jointly hosted by the Global Alliance for Territorial Communities and the Rights and Resources Initiative at the Grand Hôtel of Kintelé in Brazzaville.
