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Indigenous Leaders and the UK NGO Forest Coalition Call on the UK to Maintain Support for Forests
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 … Read more
Carbon Markets and Our Rights: A Guide for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
The voluntary carbon market is quickly evolving and being introduced in new territories, making it challenging to sort out who’s who and what the implications are for impacted communities. To support Indigenous communities and local communities to better understand carbon markets, our sister organisation Rainforest Foundation US has launched a six-part animated series to demystify … Read more
DRC government opens 52 oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, undermining green commitments
In a move that has sparked outrage among environmental and human rights campaigners, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has approved the opening of 52 new oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands – the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink and a critical ecosystem for biodiversity. The decision, announced during the Council of Ministers meeting … Read more
UK NGOs urge government to keep Forests Standing in Foreign Aid Budget
RFUK has come together with seven prominent UK-based environmental and human rights organisations in calling on the UK government to protect tropical forests from the recently announced foreign aid budget cuts. In a joint letter with Global Witness, Global Canopy, Earthsight, Forest Peoples Programme, Friends of the Earth, Fern and Mighty Earth, we appeal to … Read more
DRC Takes Important Step Towards Implementing Landmark Indigenous Peoples’ Law
Kinshasa, April 2025 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has officially launched a multi-stakeholder consultation framework to support the implementation of its landmark 2022 Law on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, through a Ministerial Order by the Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralisation and Customary Affairs, signed on … Read more
Peru’s Indigenous-led conservation: a model for protecting the Amazon
While vast stretches of Peru’s Amazon remain vulnerable to deforestation, illegal mining and land grabs, 821,000 hectares of Indigenous-managed forests stand as a testament to the power of community-led conservation. These territories, safeguarded by the Indigenous organisations FENAMAD and CARE with support from RFUK, are significantly better protected than surrounding areas where illegal activities often … Read more
Reseau EDH meets with DRC Presidential Advisor on environmental issues
On 22 March, RFUK’s civil society organisation partners Network for the Environment and Human Rights (Réseau EDH) met with Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, Special Advisor to the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Environment, Urbanism and Mobility, to discuss key environmental concerns. The meeting covered pressing issues such as the Kivu-Kinshasa Green … Read more
Blog: Haki Ardhi: Women, Land and Climate Justice
How women in Kenya are challenging gender-based land injustices and advocating for a more just and sustainable future. Across Kenya, women are the backbone of rural communities, working the land to feed their families and support local economies. Yet, despite their contributions, they remain locked out of land ownership. Less than 25% of women own … Read more
DRC announces creation of the world’s largest ‘community’ reserve: what needs to happen now
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has announced the creation of one of the world’s largest protected areas, covering more than 540,000 km² – an area the size of France. Stretching from Beni in the east of the country along the RN4 road and the Congo River basin to … Read more
CAD calls for immediate action to prevent more rights abuses in the Ntokou-Pikounda National Park
The Centre d’Actions pour le Développement (CAD) has expressed renewed concern over the human impacts of the Ntokou-Pikounda National Park in the Republic of Congo, calling on the government and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to publish a participatory management plan and to allow local and Indigenous communities immediate access to the Bokiba River. … Read more