WGII Holds Reflection and Evaluation of Work Plan Towards Institutional Independence

Bogor, December 2–3, 2024, the Working Group ICCAs Indonesia (WGII) together with members and the AKKM Rights Holders Network held the activity 'Reflection and Evaluation of WGII Work Plan Implementation' at the Santika Hotel, Bogor. This activity is part of the preparation series towards the First WGII Members' Assembly planned to take place no later than May 2025.

The meeting was opened by Kasmita Widodo as WGII Coordinator and Marko Mahim, AKKM JPH Coordinator, and facilitated by Dewi Sutejo and Edo Rakhman. The event was attended by representatives of the WGII secretariat, WGII members, and four AKKM JPH dynamizers from the regions of Sumatra, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Bali–Nusra.

In the session reflecting on the implementation of the WGII 2020–2024 Strategic Plan, the secretariat presented several key achievements in the organization's three work pillars:

Documenting ICCAs:
Documentation of 561,026 hectares of ICCAs territories from 112 rights holders, with identified potential areas reaching 22.57 million hectares.

Defending ICCAs:
Strengthening policy advocacy for the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples' and local communities' rights, including involvement in the discussion of the Indigenous Peoples Bill, the KSDAHE Bill, and the implementation of IBSAP.

Sustaining ICCAs:
Establishment and strengthening of the AKKM Rights Holders Network through training, Training of Trainers, and mentoring young facilitators in various regions.

This meeting also discussed the future institutional direction of WGII, including the finalization of the WGII Statute and Institutional Roadmap, as well as the formation of the Transition and Harmonization Team to Accelerate WGII Independence Implementation through a Secretariat Decree.

Two important decisions were made in this meeting, namely:

• Minutes of Agreement on the WGII Institutional Roadmap, which sets the transition period towards organizational independence no later than six months before the Members' Assembly.
• Decree on the Formation of the WGII Transition Team, tasked with preparing the process towards independent and sustainable institutional governance.

Besides strengthening institutional aspects, this forum also resulted in an agreement to hold the National Meeting of JPH-AKKM in June 2025, as well as strengthening the follow-up of collective work at the regional level in policy advocacy and ICCAs documentation.

This two-day meeting marks an important milestone in WGII's journey towards becoming a more independent, inclusive, and sustainable institution in advocating for the recognition and protection of ICCAs territories in Indonesia.