Indigenous Land and Livelihoods

DRC government opens 52 oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, undermining green commitments

6 May 2025

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

1 May 2025

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

22 April 2025

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

17 April 2025

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

25 March 2025

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

DRC announces creation of the world’s largest ‘community’ reserve: what needs to happen now

22 January 2025

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

Map story: Guardians of Boca Pariamanu

17 January 2025

The Guardians of Boca Pariamanu map story beautifully encapsulates the journey of Indigenous women leaders in Peru’s Madre de Dios region as they navigate the threats to their ancestral lands and livelihoods. This engaging narrative, rich with photos, maps and an accompanying video, focuses on a community’s ongoing struggle to protect their environment while embracing … Read more

Guardians of Boca Pariamanu: RFUK’s new map story highlights Indigenous resilience in the face of adversity

17 January 2025

We are excited to announce the publication of our latest map story, Guardians of Boca Pariamanu, which beautifully encapsulates the journey of Indigenous women leaders in Peru’s Madre de Dios region as they navigate the threats to their ancestral lands and livelihoods. This engaging narrative, rich with photos, maps and an accompanying video, focuses on … Read more

CAD calls for immediate action to prevent more rights abuses in the Ntokou-Pikounda National Park

13 January 2025

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

Bridging Forests and Markets Through Sustainable Cocoa Livelihoods in Peru

20 December 2024

A groundbreaking collaboration with the award-winning Asháninka Kemito Ene cooperative in Peru is enabling Indigenous smallholders to use cutting-edge technology to break down barriers to accessing international markets for their sustainably produced cacao. As global deforestation continues to threaten biodiversity and climate stability, regulatory frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) have emerged to … Read more