BRWA- WGII Participates in Land & Carbon Lab Summit 2023, Emphasizes the Importance of Recognizing and Respecting the Rights of Indigenous and Local Communities in the Use and Utilization of Geospatial Data

June 27-29, 2023, the Indigenous Territory Registration Agency (BRWA) and the Working Group ICCAs Indonesia (WGII) attended as speakers at the Land & Carbon Lab's 2023 Summit, on June 27-29, 2023, held at The EGG, Brussels, Belgium. This event was organized by the World Resources Institute, NICFI, Global Forest Watch, and Benoz Earth Fund. The Land & Carbon Lab 2023 Congress itself is a global-level conference for policymakers and practitioners who utilize geospatial data and monitoring strategies to enhance land sustainability, particularly in climate, nature, and development goals. This year's conference builds on the outcomes of the 2019 meeting organized by Global Forest Watch, connecting innovators in data and technology with those making decisions about land use and management for various purposes. The main goal of this conference is to promote the dissemination of geospatial data and monitoring in fields such as restoration, deforestation, land use planning, and more.

Some key themes discussed at this conference include:

• Accelerating the implementation of locally-led landscape restoration;
• Addressing deforestation and environmental crimes
• Strengthening community-led land management
• Ensuring accountability for conversion-free supply chains
• Enhancing policy and financial mechanisms to boost nature-based solutions
• Planning land use for a more sustainable food future
• Transparently tracking progress towards global targets for nature and climate
• Creating more equitable, sustainable, and resilient urban areas

BRWA-WGII, represented by Cindy Julianty (WGII Program Manager), emphasized the importance of geospatial data in strengthening the rights of indigenous peoples in Indonesia. Geospatial data has currently developed very rapidly, and in such conditions, geospatial data can help increase visibility regarding various situations and issues, especially related to the existence of indigenous peoples and indigenous territories. In Indonesia, geospatial data in the form of participatory maps and its supporting platforms have become the main tools in supporting and ensuring the recognition of indigenous peoples' rights. However, the development of geospatial platforms also has negative potential if the use of data, along with its security and privacy protocols, is not properly regulated, for example in the form of data misuse conducted without the consent of the data owner.

In response to this, BRWA-WGII expressed concerns regarding the use of geospatial information in the sessions "Shifting Power: Rights-Based Approaches to Geospatial Data and Tools" and "Making the Case for Indigenous and Community Land Rights in Climate and Conservation Agendas".

Presentations and videos can be accessed at: https://summit2023.landcarbonlab.org

Read more:

Land & Carbon Lab Summit 2023: BRWA Emphasizes the Importance of Indigenous Territory Information Systems in Enhancing the Visibility of Indigenous Territories and Accelerating the Recognition of Indigenous Peoples and Territories in Indonesia
Land & Carbon Lab Summit 2023: BRWA-WGII Urgency of Recognizing Community-Based Conservation Practices (ICCAs) to Achieve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Targets