 Allow me to explain why the Netherlands has decided to join the pledge to advance indigenous people and local community forest tenure rights. The starting point of the Netherlands national and international policy on forest is sustainable forest management, through an integrated approach that gives equal attention to the ecological, economic and social aspects. Forest ecosystems and the services they provide to different people and at different scales should be looked at comprehensively. Essentials to this are the 1.5 billion people who rely directly to greater or lesser extent on the products and services that forests provide. Two and a half million of them are even heavily dependent on forests, including many indigenous communities and local communities. At the same time IPLCs can play a vital role in countering the negative effects of deforestation, forest degradation, climate change and conserving forests by diversity. With their in-depth understanding of forests and livelihoods intimately linked to forests, IPLC forest governance plays a key role in preventing deforestation and forest degradation. And offers failure opportunities as well to adapt to climate change and safeguard their livelihoods. In areas of deforestation however, conflict with local communities is common, as IPLCs land and research rights are often violated. Environmental and human rights defendants, who are also often indigenous people, are increasingly being intimidated, harassed and threatened, which limits them in their capacity to safeguard forests and preserve vital ecosystem services. The Netherlands sees the formal recognition of the rights of IPLCs to forest territories and their role in the decision-making processes concerning forest resources, therefore as a crucial condition to halt deforestation and achieve sustainable forest management. Joining the pledge to advance indigenous people and local community forest tenure rights has reaffirmed our commitment to recognise and strengthen the key role IPLCs play in protecting forest and nature. The political and financial commitments of the donors help to broaden the recognition that IPLCs are at the heart of protecting forests, where tenure rights is an important condition to achieve sustainable forest management. The pledge offers us a collective basis for cooperation and action to further advance IPLC tenure rights and monitor its impact. The pledge however also expressed that a great deal of work is still needed to secure the tenure rights of IPLCs throughout the world, which can only be achieved in a collective manner. We therefore call on under donors as well to significantly increase their support to achieve this important agenda.