This month, the president of the Democratic Republic of the 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. 

The promulgation of DRC’s new Land-Use Planning Law (Law No. 25/045, July 1, 2025) follows its adoption by the National Assembly and the Senate in October 2023 and is the result of sustained advocacy led by a broad coalition of civil society organizations—including: the Center for Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Development (CTIDD); the Coalition of Women Leaders for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CFLEDD); Congolese Resources Institute (CRI); the Center for Support for Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests (CAGDFT); Congo-Watch; and Dynamique des groupes des peuples autochtones (DGPA)— with financial and technical support from the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI).  

It now enters into force as the foundation for a national land-use system built on inclusive, rights-based principles. 

A milestone for Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ land rights 

The DRC is home to 60 percent of the Congo Basin, the largest carbon sink in the world, and thousands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who depend on the forest for their livelihoods and cultural survival. For decades, the absence of a legal and institutional framework for land-use planning has fueled conflicts, deforestation, and insecurity—particularly for the country’s most marginalized groups. 

This new law provides a clear path forward. One rooted in participation and inclusion in land-use policy and processes. 

Its development was informed by extensive consultations at the local, provincial, and national levels. These consultations enabled communities to directly shape the vision and content of the law.  

Now, its implementation will require the full participation of civil society, the private sector, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities in land-use decisions.  

What’s in the Law? 

The new Land-Use Planning Law includes several progressive provisions that strengthen community rights and align land governance with broader development and climate goals: 

• Recognition of Community Customary Land Rights: For the first time, community customary land rights are explicitly acknowledged within the national land-use framework. 

• Decentralized and Inclusive Planning: The law promotes a bottom-up planning approach that empowers communities to co-create land-use plans. 

• Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC): Communities now have the right to be consulted and to give or withhold consent for activities affecting their lands. 

• Improved Conflict Resolution and Coordination: Clear guidelines have been introduced to harmonize sectoral policies and solve land conflicts. 

• Environmental Protections: The law mandates environmental impact assessments and includes strong protections for wetlands, peatlands, and other sensitive ecosystems—many of which are located on customary lands. 

“The coalition’s aim was to ensure a progressive reform that enables community tenure security. The new law focuses on modernizing territorial governance and ensuring the country’s sustainable development.” 

– Patrick Kipalu, Africa Program Director at RRI

A milestone and a challenge ahead 

This new legal framework represents a turning point for land governance in the DRC. But it doesn’t stop there; it also offers lessons for other countries across the Congo Basin and beyond.  

It sets the stage for more equitable and sustainable development and shows how participatory policymaking and civil society leadership can transform land governance and foster climate resilience from the ground up.  

However, the effectiveness of this law will depend on its implementation, which will hinge on coordinated action across all levels of government, resource mobilization, robust monitoring, and sustained community engagement. Civil society actors, many of whom were instrumental in shaping the law, must now play a central role in holding institutions accountable, supporting local capacity, and ensuring that communities have the tools and resources they need to assert their rights.  

Furthermore, to make the Land-Use Planning Law effective, especially for securing customary land rights, the National Land Law, currently under revision process, must also be urgently adopted. This will help fill legal gaps and ensure stronger protection for community lands.  

The RRI coalition remains committed to facilitating this process through technical support, continued coalition-building, and advocacy to ensure that the law translates into tangible improvements in land tenure security and governance for the country’s Indigenous Pygmy Peoples and local communities. 

Cover photo: EnviroNews RDC for Rights and Resources Initiative.

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