This commitment aligns with TRAFFIC’s long-standing position of supporting IPLCs as essential leaders in safeguarding biodiversity and combating climate change.

The pledge supports Global Biodiversity Framework Targets 5 and 9 which establish commitments to sustainable wildlife trade and equitable access for IPLCs. It also builds on momentum from other recent milestones, including USD1.7 billion allocated to support IPLC forestry guardianship at the UN Climate Change CoP26.

At subsequent international conferences, global leaders reaffirmed the critical role of IPLCs in achieving climate and biodiversity goals, emphasising that deforestation rates are consistently lower in areas managed by Indigenous communities.

In Cameroon, TRAFFIC is , working with local partners to help communities across Eastern Cameroon meet the legal requirements to access “Community Forests”. These allow for sustainable timber harvesting and trade, strengthened subsistence opportunities, and a direct role in forest governance and community rights.

Signing this pledge reaffirms our commitment to champion the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in sustainable solutions. We must move beyond symbolic support and ensure IPLCs are active participants within forest governance and land tenure.”

Richard Scobey, TRAFFIC Executive Director

TRAFFIC is actively working with Indigenous Communities elsewhere across the globe to turn these commitments into a reality, such as supporting income generation opportunities through sustainable wild plant harvesting in Nepal and Southern Africa.

As the UNCC CoP30 approaches, TRAFFIC joins the call for renewed and scaled-up commitments to IPLC land tenure and forest governance.