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Legal Opinion On The Issuance Of Presidential Regulation Of The Republic Of Indonesia Number 92 Of 2020 Concerning The Ministry Of Environment And Forestry
Presidential Regulation No. 92/2020 has the potential to weaken community participation in forest management and Indigenous forest recognition by removing the mandate to strengthen public participation from the Directorate General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships. This change raises concerns about escalating tenure conflicts between Indigenous/local communities and business permit holders.
The regulation also weakens environmental and forestry protection by replacing the phrase “prevention, mitigation, and restoration” with “control” in Article 24. This shift is seen as prioritizing law enforcement after violations occur, while reducing precautionary approaches in environmental governance.
In addition, research, development, and innovation functions within the Ministry of Environment and Forestry were removed, with the Research, Development, and Innovation Agency renamed as the Environmental and Forestry Instrument Standardization Agency. Research and innovation roles were temporarily transferred to this body before being integrated into the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
