This study, led by authors affiliated to the Explore network, examines Indonesia's fourth amendment of Forestry Law No. 41/1999. The reform comes at a critical moment, following the country's COP 30 commitment to recognize 1.4 million hectares of customary forests.
Drawing on five case studies, the analysis identifies persistent structural challenges within existing recognition frameworks, including governance paradoxes, historical amnesia, elite capture, ontological exclusion and the prioritization of business concessions over constitutional rights.
The authors argue that the amendment must move beyond symbolic recognition to substantive reform. This includes integrating historical justice, strengthening post-recognition governance and recognizing legal pluralism. Without addressing these structural constraints, reforms risk reinforcing inequalities and undermining community rights and climate commitments.
