In July 2025, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed into law the country’s first-ever land-use planning legislation, marking a historic step toward community-centered land governance and sustainable development in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.
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Rights and Resources Initiative, the world’s largest coalition for Indigenous Peoples,’ local communities’, and Afro-descendant Peoples’ rights, celebrates 20th Anniversary with Landmark Report
This new report highlights RRI's twenty years of impact on communities’ collective land and resource rights and outlines the path forward to secure their future worldwide.
[INDONESIA] RRI Memberikan Penghormatan kepada Pemimpin Adat melalui Penghargaan Aksi Kolektif Pertama dalam Perayaan HUT ke-20 di Nepal
Dalam perayaan ulang tahun ke-20 di Kathmandu, Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) mengumumkan para pemenang Penghargaan Aksi Kolektif perdana. Penghargaan ini diberikan sebagai bentuk penghormatan kepada Masyarakat Adat, Masyarakat Keturunan Afrika, dan komunitas lokal dari Afrika, Asia, dan Amerika Latin atas kepemimpinan mereka dalam memperjuangkan hak kolektif atas tanah, hutan, dan sumber daya.
[PORTUGUÊS] RRI homenageia líderes indígenas com o primeiro Prêmio de Ação Coletiva durante celebração de seu 20º aniversário no Nepal
Durante a celebração de seu 20º aniversário em Katmandu, a Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) anunciou os vencedores de seu primeiro Prêmio de Ação Coletiva, que reconhece povos indígenas, comunidades afrodescendentes e populações locais da África, Ásia e América Latina por sua liderança na defesa de seus direitos coletivos à terra, às florestas e aos recursos naturais.
RRI Honors Indigenous Leaders with Inaugural Collective Action Awards at 20th Anniversary Celebration in Nepal
At its 20th anniversary celebration in Kathmandu, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) announced the winners of its inaugural Collective Action Awards. The awards honor Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities from Africa, Asia, and Latin America for their leadership in defending their collective land, forest, and resource rights.
Meet the RRI Collective Action Award Winners
These are the three communities that are leading global efforts to protect nature and preserve traditional knowledge for future generations.
At their first Global Congress, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from Major Forest Basins Demand Urgent Actions on Land Recognition, Protection, and Rights
Hundreds of Indigenous and local community representatives from the world’s largest tropical forest basins held a historic convening on May 26–30, 2025, with government representatives, international development institutions, and donors to present their demands ahead of the next UN Climate Conference in Brazil (COP30).
RRI’s Participation in the Installation Ceremony of the International Commission of Traditional Communities, Afro-descendants and Family Farmers in the framework of the Circle of Dialogues towards COP30
On May 29, 2025, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) accompanied the Installation Ceremony of the International Commission of Traditional Communities, Afro-descendants and Family Farmers in Brazil. The event represented an important milestone in the lead-up to COP30, and brought together various authorities from Brazil and Colombia, consolidating the regional commitment to the role of traditional peoples in the international climate agenda.
Coalition Calls on South Sudan’s Parliament to Pass Long-Awaited National Land Policy
As South Sudan’s Parliament prepares to reconvene in the coming days, the South Sudan Land Alliance, a coalition of civil society organizations and land rights advocates, is calling on the Transitional National Legislative Assembly to prioritize the passage of the National Land Policy.
First Global Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from the Forest Basins Begins in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
The First Global Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities from the Forest Basins brings together forest guardians from the Amazon, Congo, Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia, and Mesoamerica. These territories, long safeguarded by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, are essential to the Earth’s biodiversity and carbon balance—providing powerful solutions to the climate crisis.
Declaration of the Regional Meeting of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Peoples and Communities of Brazil and the Amazon Basin for COP30
We declare that there is no solution to the climate crisis without the recognition and protection of our territorial rights. Here, we present our priority demands and urge the Brazilian Presidency of COP30 to present concrete results for the respect, recognition and protection of our territories.
The path to securing land tenure for women in Tanzania
There are 13,318 villages in Tanzania, and of them, only 34% have a Village Land Use Plan (VLUP). A VLUP is a crucial prerequisite for obtaining a Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy—the equivalent of securing land tenure. This can be especially important for women, who are often marginalized in land inheritance, lack access to credit services, and have little voice in disputes. Since 2021, the Ukijani project has helped issue more than 1,700 Certificates in villages throughout the country.
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