As COVID-19 has hobbled governments around the world, environmental protections have diminished or disappeared altogether, leaving the door wide open for abuse, corruption, land grabs. Indigenous peoples and their territories are prime targets to pillage during this vulnerable period.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage more than half of the world´s land. These biodiverse ancestral lands are vital to the people who steward them and the planet we all share. But governments only recognize indigenous and community legal ownership of 10 percent of the world´s lands.  Secure tenure is essential for safeguarding the existing forests against external forces. This is specifically true for forests managed by Indigenous Peoples, where much of the world’s carbon is stored.

Wednesday, September 2nd, 9:00 AM-10:30 AM EST (3:00 PM – 4:30 PM CEST)

Three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans, with Ebola, SARS, MERS and now COVID-19 being examples. Scientists are warning that deforestation, industrial agriculture, illegal wildlife trade, climate change and other types of environmental degradation increase the risk of future pandemics.

AIPP is celebrating this year's International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, 2020 by hosting a 3-day webinar from 5-7 August 2020.

On Day 2 (Thursday 6th August) there are two land-related sessions:

Join us for a webinar:
Building a Land Information Ecosystem in India

Date: Thursday, February 20th, 2020
Time: 14:00-15:30 / 9:00-10:30 CET

Indigenous people, local communities and family farmers play a critical role in stewarding and safeguarding the world’s lands and forests. Lands and forests managed by indigenous people and local communities have lower deforesta- tion rates, a higher carbon storage potential and a higher biodiversity than other lands, including protected areas.

You are cordially invited to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's 10th Anniversary Mary Robinson Speaker Series on Business & Human Rights “Turning up the heat: Solutions from indigenous peoples and progressive business to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy"

This is an opportunity provided by the Reporting Land Rights programme: Find out more 

​The Land & Accountability Research Centre (LARC) at the University of Cape Town commissioned the vivid documentary film This Land as a way for rural people to bring the untold story of their struggle for rights and accountability on communal land into urban forums of legislative, political and corporate decision-making.