Ground-breaking deal with Indonesia, weak language on rights

Following intense negotiations, Norway and Indonesia have signed a ground-breaking aid deal worth USD 1 billion aimed at curbing deforestation as part of an effort to combat climate change.

The deal has strengths and weaknesses. A remarkable achievement of the agreement is a two-year ban on new concessions in forests and peatlands.

But the text is weak on indigenous peoples; the word “rights" does not appear. Development Today has learned that an Indonesian NGO endorsed the agreement just before it was finalised. The Norwegian side felt that this move closed the negotiating space.