Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia visited the UK Parliament last week to urge stronger action to protect forests and uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs). In meetings with MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Deforestation and UK civil servants, the delegation called for direct funding to communities, legal recognition of Indigenous territories and more ambitious UK legislation to tackle deforestation.

The delegation raised particular concern over the impacts of forest carbon offset projects, warning that these schemes often bypass communities and enable land grabs by the same companies driving deforestation. They also urged the UK to use its trade and diplomatic ties to press for better protections for Indigenous rights, especially in forest-rich countries such as Malaysia and Brazil.

A central message was the need for the UK to deliver on its promises on forests, people and climate following the government’s announcement last month that it was cutting the international development budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI).

In the wake of the visit, RFUK and seven other members of the UK NGO Forest Coalition sent a joint letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Environment Secretary Steve Reed. The letter warned against aid cuts to UK forest programmes and urged the Government to maintain its international leadership on forests and ensure continued direct support for Indigenous-led initiatives.

The letter highlighted the essential role that forests play in regulating the climate and supporting biodiversity, food security and public health, and the central role that IPLCs play in safeguarding them.

Parliament has since responded with Early Day Motion 1269, signed by 15 MPs so far. The motion expresses concern over threats to UK forest funding and recognises the unique contribution of Indigenous Peoples in climate mitigation. It calls on the Government to protect existing forest programmes from further cuts, recommit to the 0.7% GNI aid target and place Indigenous rights at the centre of UK climate and development policy, especially in the lead-up to COP30 in Brazil.

RFUK welcomes this growing cross-party support and urges the UK Government to match its words with action, ensuring Indigenous Peoples and local communities have the recognition, resources and legal protection needed to continue their vital work in defending the world’s forests.