Banda Aceh, February 5, 2027 – The Directorate General of Regional Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the Indonesian HuMa Association and the Ford Foundation, held a seminar titled “The Role of the Aceh Province and District Governments in the Recognition and Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Aceh”. The seminar aims to: Increase collective awareness regarding the duties and roles that can be undertaken by the Provincial and District/City Governments in the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples, especially those overlapping with forest areas that will later be included in Social Forestry activities and integrated into spatial planning documents; Joint learning for the Aceh Provincial Government and selected Districts in Aceh regarding the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples; Enhancement of joint commitment in the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples.

The event was attended by representatives from the Indonesian HuMa Association, the Aceh Indigenous Peoples Community Network (JKMA), the Legal Bureau of the Aceh Provincial Government representing the Aceh Provincial Secretary, the Sub-Directorate of Forestry at the Directorate of Regional Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Sub-Directorate of Land Affairs and Spatial Planning at the Directorate of Regional Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, representatives from the Directorate General of Village Governance at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Experts from the East Kalimantan Provincial Office of Community Empowerment and Village Development, Head of the Spatial Planning and Regional Infrastructure Development Department at the Aceh Public Works and Spatial Planning Office, Head of the Environmental Department of Pidie District, Forestry Sub-directorate at the Directorate of Regional Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Academician from the Faculty of Law at Syiah Kuala University. From the districts, this event also invited and/or was attended by representatives from the Head of the Regional Development Planning Agency, Head of the Environmental Department, and Head of the Community Empowerment and Village Office of Aceh Besar, Central Aceh, East Aceh, West Aceh, South Aceh, and Bener Meriah.

In her speech, Susi Fauziah from the Indonesian HuMa Association (HuMa) stated that HuMa, together with the Indigenous Peoples Community Network (JKMA), has been part of the Indigenous Forest Coalition that has accompanied the process of recognizing indigenous forests in Aceh since 2015. Their work has borne fruit with the designation of five out of eight indigenous forests in Aceh in 2023. Currently, 3 districts in Aceh have local regulations recognizing indigenous communities for 8 communities, namely Pidie, Aceh Jaya, and Bireuen. However, there is still much advocacy work to be done, including ensuring that indigenous forests are included in Spatial Planning documents and promoting more recognition of indigenous areas in local regulations. In carrying out its duties, HuMa receives support from the Ford Foundation and collaborates with the Directorate General of Regional Development.

Dyah Sih Irawati, the Forestry Sub-director at the Directorate of Regional Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, explained that indigenous forests as part of social forestry have been included in the Technocratic Design of the National Medium-Term Development Plan 2025-2029. This aims to support national policies in sustainable forest management. In the context of regional governance, indigenous legal community affairs are under the responsibility of four sectors, namely village community empowerment, environmental affairs, forestry, and land affairs. In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs also has action plans in Presidential Regulation 28/2023 related to social forestry, including providing assistance and evaluation to regional governments in the process of recognizing and protecting indigenous legal community (MHA).

Support and Commitment from the Province are Needed

Muhammad Junaidi, Head of the Legal Bureau of the Aceh Provincial Government, revealed that the Long-Term Development Plan (RPJP) for Aceh Province is currently being drafted. The Head of the Legal Bureau, representing the Aceh Provincial Secretary, is committed to incorporating norms recognizing indigenous legal communities into the body and narrative of the RPJP. In addition, the Aceh Provincial Government is striving to oversee the recognition of indigenous legal communities and indigenous forests in districts that have not yet been recognized.

Regarding spatial planning, Benny Kamil, the Land Affairs and Spatial Planning Sub-director at the Directorate of Regional Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, explained that based on Government Regulation No. 21 of 2021, integration of land and sea spatial planning is required. Indigenous forests must be ensured to be included in the provincial and district/city Spatial Planning documents to have legal certainty. If not accommodated in the existing Spatial Planning documents, indigenous forest areas will be integrated in the next revision of the Spatial Planning documents in accordance with Regulation of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) No.