Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) play a critical role in the protection and restoration of biodiversity. IPLCs are stewards of 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity¹. Evidence suggests that where IPLCs hold secure governance rights to forests, communities provide better protection and management, deforestation rates are lower, and carbon storage higher². Biodiversity indicators show significantly lower declines in land managed by Indigenous Peoples, and these lands are at least as diverse or more so than protected areas³. The UK is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which recognises ’the dependency of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) on biological diversity and their unique role in conserving life on Earth’⁴. The UK supported the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and is fully committed to promoting and protecting human rights for all individuals, including Indigenous People, without discrimination on any grounds. The UK also supports Voluntary Guidelines on Governance of Tenure (VGGT)⁵; these embody international provisions requiring the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from Indigenous Peoples to any project that may affect them.

At COP26 the UK Presidency led a $1.7bn Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure Pledge (the Pledge)⁶ from 23 public and private donors to advance support for Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ (IPLC) tenure rights in tropical forest countries, running from 2021-2025. The Pledge has led to a step-change in international attention on the central role local and Indigenous communities play in climate mitigation, protecting nature and biodiversity, and the critical role of tenure security in sustainable land use. The UK is delivering our Pledge commitment of £163m through ODA programmes across FCDO, DESNZ and DEFRA.

¹ The role of Indigenous Peoples in Biodiversity Conservation: World Bank Document
² By the Numbers: Indigenous and Community Land Rights | World Resources Institute (wri.org)
³ The Economics of Biodiversity Dasgupta Review 2021
⁴ Working Group on Article 8(j) (cbd.int)
⁵ Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure | Governance of Tenure | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)
⁶ https://ukcop26.org/cop26-iplc-forest-tenure-joint-donor-statement/; https://landportal.org/iplc/forest-tenure-donor-pledge

The conflict in Sudan has created a manmade humanitarian disaster with 9.25 million people facing emergency or famine conditions. For the first time, over 755,000 people are projected to be at risk of famine (IPC 5). This financial year, UK bilateral ODA to Sudan will increase to £92 million, with a significant amount going towards humanitarian aid. UK support is being delivered through the UN and other trusted partners and is providing nutrition, safe drinking water, medical care and shelter. The UK also continues to pursue all diplomatic avenues to press the warring parties into a permanent ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, protect civilians and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process.

The conflict in Sudan has created a manmade humanitarian disaster with 8.5 million people facing emergency or famine conditions. For the first time, over 755,000 people are projected to be at risk of famine (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification 5). The UK is working with international partners, including the UN, other donors and humanitarian agencies, to improve and increase the delivery of aid into Sudan. The UK is also helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries, with £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan, and £15 million to Chad.

The UK, and Troika (US, Norway), continue to press for implementation of South Sudan's Peace Agreement and a peaceful transition to democracy. We will continue to support the UN Mission in Sudan, who are mandated to support preparations for elections, including through the provision of technical assistance to electoral institutions.The UK also uses its position as a permanent member in the UN Security Council to express concern about the lack of progress in fulfilling necessary electoral preconditions.

We note the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community. We work closely with international partners, including the US, and we continue to support mediation efforts and urge both warring parties to engage constructively to secure a ceasefire and prevent the conflict spreading further.

The UK supports and works alongside international partners to press the parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian access, protect civilians, and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process. The UK will also continue to use its position as penholder at the UN Security Council to urge the warring parties to achieve a ceasefire, increase much-needed humanitarian assistance and access and ensure the protection of civilians. On 13 June, the UNSC adopted a UK-led resolution demanding a halt to the Rapid Support Forces' siege of El Fasher and calling on warring parties to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities and safe, unimpeded humanitarian access.