New York, United States – At the twenty-fourth session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) proudly announced a formal co-design partnership with the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), marking a pivotal step toward inclusive and equitable nature finance.
The TFFF, a once-in-a-generation initiative proposed by the Brazilian government and set to launch at COP30, aims to mobilize sustainable financial flows to protect tropical forests through a novel investment model. Funded by sovereign loans and private sector investment, returns generated by the fund will be directed toward Tropical Forest Countries (TFCs) in the form of performance-based payments, ensuring that the tropical forest is worth more standing than if felled.
In a landmark move, the TFFF has committed to allocating at least 20% of these performance-based payments specifically to those on the frontlines of forest protection, specifically Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs & LCs).
Through a co-design partnership, the GATC—representing over 35 million forest guardians across Latin America, Africa, and Asia—will play a central role in shaping how these funds are governed, distributed, and accessed. This collaboration represents a significant step in pushing for financial flows that are guided by culturally relevant, territory-driven, and community-led climate solutions.
“There’s plenty of evidence showing our crucial role as Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in keeping forests standing—it’s about time climate funding reflected that. This isn’t just progress; it’s a shift toward a new kind of climate finance—one that respects our rights, listens to our priorities, and follows the lead of those who have cared for these lands for generations,” said Juan Carlos Jintiach, Executive Secretary of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC).
The co-design process will include broad consultation and participation across IP & LC networks beyond GATC – with representation from institutions across different regions and groups, ensuring that all voices are heard in the design of the IP & LC dedicated funding mechanism. A series of engagement sessions will commence with a listening dialogue during the UNPFII, followed by a global convening at the Global Forest Basins Congress in Brazzaville this May.
The process will be guided by a global steering committee comprising representatives from Indigenous and community-led organizations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
“This partnership is about listening and leading together,” said André Rodrigues de Aquino, Director of the TFFF Secretariat. “We are honored to co-create a fund that values and invests in those who have always protected our forests. We need to ensure we learn the lessons in providing direct access to funding – trust and flexibility will be the name of the game here to ensure funds reach those on the ground”
This announcement signals a new era in global conservation finance—one rooted in justice, inclusion, and the knowledge of forest guardians.
