PUBLICATIONS

National policies to recognize Indigenous Peoples (IP) rights are slowly progressing, with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) revising a regulation to accelerate customary forest recognition and making official a Customary Forest Indicative Map totaling 451,045 hectares for temporary security. However, official customary forest recognition is very slow, currently only 1% of the total social forestry rights recognized.

Regionally, efforts in Papua and West Papua show progressive steps toward IP rights recognition. The Draft Special Regional Regulation in Papua is under discussion, which includes an FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent) clause, the establishment of an IP Affairs Agency, and a very progressive retroactive restitution mechanism. In West Papua, the Teluk Bintuni District issued a District Regional Regulation that serves as an umbrella for the recognition of seven specific tribes, includes an FPIC clause, and has a mechanism for reviewing existing licenses if there is an urgent demand from the IP community.