RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia has announced its readiness to take a leading role in strengthening the International Tropical Peatland Center (ITPC), positioning it as a hub for global collaboration among tropical peatland nations. THead of Public Relations and International Cooperation, at the Ministry of Forestry, Ristianto Pribadi during the Fourth Meeting of the Partners of the Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI-4) in Lima, Peru, South America, from 30 June to 4 July 2026.

“With Indonesia’s experience in protecting and managing peat ecosystems, and the Ministry’s mandate to oversee more than 70 percent of peatland areas within state forests, we are prepared to lead ITPC as a center of knowledge, innovation, and international cooperation for the future of global peatlands,” Ristianto said in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He explained that Indonesia’s leadership will focus on strengthening knowledge exchange, science-based policy development, capacity building, joint research, technological innovation, and mobilizing international partnerships to support sustainable tropical peatland management. “We believe ITPC must evolve into a global collaboration platform for tropical countries,” he added.

Ristianto highlighted that Indonesia has already established a comprehensive peatland governance system through stronger regulations, ecosystem protection, restoration, landscape-based management, and community empowerment via Social Forestry programs. These policies form the backbone of Indonesia’s efforts to achieve its FOLU Net Sink 2030 target and fulfill its climate commitments.

“As a country with one of the world’s largest tropical peatland landscapes, Indonesia recognizes that peatland preservation challenges cannot be solved in isolation. Global leadership is needed to bridge cooperation among nations, strengthen capacity, accelerate innovation, and build stronger governance standards for tropical peatlands,” Ristianto stressed.

At the forum, Indonesia also invited members of the Global Peatlands Initiative, international organizations, research institutions, the private sector, and development partners to participate in the Peatland Forest Forum 2026, which will be hosted in Indonesia this October. The event is expected to mark a new milestone in advancing collective global action, expanding cross-border collaboration, and delivering concrete steps for tropical peatland protection and management.

“Indonesia is ready to be part of the global solution through leadership, innovation, and genuine collaboration,” Ristianto concluded. ***