Territories and areas that Indigenous peoples and local communities govern, manage and conserve (hereafter territories of life) are increasingly recognized by scientists, international agencies, non-governmental and grassroots organizations, as central to the future of a healthy and sustainable planet. Hundreds of thousands of such social-ecological systems exist worldwide, covering millions of square kilometers of land and seascapes on all five continents, contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Nevertheless, these systems are facing many threats and often have little to no formal recognitionor support from nation-state governments. In order to address this growing need, this review provides the most complete, recent and updated global overview of territories of life. The review advocates for a holistic approach of territories of life and identifies key opportunities for researchers to favor action- and policy-oriented research in support of such vital systems for global sustainability