Land tenure for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples

Despite the significant financial commitments made at COP 26 to recognize the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities with customary rights, including Afro-descendants, limited investment has reached local populations to protect, delimit, and title their territories. Some leaders of these communities continue to face threats and risks to their lives for defending their land, particularly in Latin America.Over the past decade, the experience of various Latin American countries highlights the practical considerations necessary to effectively guide investments in the delimitation, titling, and registration of Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples' territories while strengthening their governance systems. The estimated cost of recognizing these rights bears out the viability of such investments, which yield proven social, environmental, and economic benefits.