COP 16: Indigenous peoples, protagonists, and strategic allies for conserving biological diversity in the face of climate change
A quarter of the world's land surface is owned, managed, used, or traditionally occupied by indigenous peoples, Living Planet Report 2024, and these spaces are the territories that have suffered the least from land use changes, have less deforestation, greater conservation of biological diversity and have their strategies to cope with climate change.
In this context, it is essential to promote and guarantee the legal security of ancestral territories. Therefore, to ensure the lives of the Indigenous peoples who live there, the commitment of states and international cooperation to strengthen Indigenous territorial management, and governance is fundamental.
To achieve this objective, at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) held in Cali, Colombia, representatives of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP) and its bases, the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís Nation (GTANW), Practical Action and Forest Trends shared their progress and experiences at the event “Indigenous Territorial Governance for the Management and Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Process of Climate Change”.
Elaine Shajian Shawit, president of the Regional Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples of San Lorenzo (CORPI SL) in Peru, commented: “We cannot talk about conservation without talking about the collective rights of indigenous peoples. We see the territory as a whole, not by communities, and we have the solution to conserve and restore the forests. Recently an oil spill devastated our territory and took away our water source. We expose our lives to protect the forest because we are part of it”. In this way, he emphasized the threats and difficulties present in the territory, which represent a barrier to exercising their self-determination and autonomy.
In this regard, the Director of Justice of GTANW, Tsanim Evaristo Wajai Asamat, called on governments to recognize their modes of governance, to carry out prior consultation with indigenous communities before the creation of a law, project, or concession that violates their rights and mainly to support initiatives such as the Charip monitoring, control and surveillance plan. The link we have with nature is what gives us the strength to defend our territory, this is a commitment to our future generations and all humanity. Indigenous peoples have always conserved and we contribute to the 30x30 goal because it is part of our worldview,” he said.
In turn, the director of the Territorial Governance Mechanism of Forest Trends, Marcio Halla, said that “cooperation contributes to strengthening the capacities of indigenous organizations in the territory, respecting their organizational structures and worldview. This allows the conservation of biodiversity and generates actions to stop the climate crisis. Supporting their forms of governance and their autonomy allows them to influence the defense of their territories and rights.
It is important to point out that all participants agreed that Autonomous Territorial Governments are a form of integrated governance that responds to the needs of indigenous peoples and at the same time aligns with the global objectives that at least 30% of terrestrial spaces, inland waters and the ocean should be protected and conserved by 2030, Target 3 of the Global Framework for Biological Diversity. The event highlighted that the fulfillment of the 30x30 Target should consider inclusive approaches to conservation in which Indigenous peoples have a leading role and more support, in line with the protection of their rights and the importance of their territory's conservation of life for their survival and the planet.
In this event led by AIDESEP and supported by WWF, also participated Apus Teddy Sinacay, president of the Central de Comunidades Nativas de la Selva Central (CECONSEC), and Alejandro Irey, president of the Consejo Harakbut Yine y Machiguenga (COHARYIMA), and Balvanera Cruz, deputy director of the BLF Amazonian Andes Project, in the framework of COP 16, with the support of BLF Amazonian Andes projects, financed by International Development UK under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, deputy director of the BLF Andes Amazon Project, in the framework of COP 16, with the support of the BLF Andes Amazon Project, funded by UK International Development under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, and Connecting Landscape for the Well-being of People and Nature.
Indigenous peoples' territories of life
COP16 also served as a space to draw attention to the urgent need to discuss the territories of life of indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon because of their essential role in ensuring the life, culture, and spirituality of the communities.
In the different spaces, the leaders found that their ancestral knowledge and practices are conservation pillars of biodiversity. Therefore, Indigenous peoples are key allies in achieving national and global biodiversity targets, especially target 3, which seeks to conserve and effectively manage at least 30% of the world's terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas by 2030.
As part of the indigenous peoples' proposals, direct financing for indigenous peoples was also proposed, to strengthen actions for the conservation, management, and defense of indigenous territories and the biological diversity they possess.
In addition, COP-16 in Cali marked a milestone by adopting the Subsidiary Body that gives life to the 8j Work Program, prioritizing tasks that directly contribute to the timely, full, and effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and recognizing that traditional knowledge, innovations, practices, and technologies of Indigenous Peoples, as well as their traditional knowledge, practices and technologies, are essential for their sustainable development, practices and technologies of Indigenous Peoples should be valued and considered relevant. The knowledge generation processes and integrity of each knowledge system should be respected. A holistic approach should be adopted by the spiritual and cultural values of indigenous peoples and nationalities.
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BLF Andes Amazonico is funded by UK International Development under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund and is implemented by a consortium led by Practical Action and also comprised of NCI, AIDESEP, WWF, TERRA NUOVA, and COSPE. It seeks to contribute to the transformation of current systems in the Amazonian Andes Landscape, a transboundary territory (Peru-Ecuador) of great biodiversity and cultural richness.
Connecting the landscape for the well-being of people and nature. In Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, these actions are being carried out to conserve essential natural resources for all and build a future in which both people and nature thrive, within the framework of the project 'Connecting the Landscape for the Well-being of People and Nature, with the support of the Sall Foundation.
In this context, it is essential to promote and guarantee the legal security of ancestral territories. Therefore, to ensure the lives of the Indigenous peoples who live there, the commitment of states and international cooperation to strengthen Indigenous territorial management, and governance is fundamental.
To achieve this objective, at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) held in Cali, Colombia, representatives of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP) and its bases, the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís Nation (GTANW), Practical Action and Forest Trends shared their progress and experiences at the event “Indigenous Territorial Governance for the Management and Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Process of Climate Change”.
Elaine Shajian Shawit, president of the Regional Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples of San Lorenzo (CORPI SL) in Peru, commented: “We cannot talk about conservation without talking about the collective rights of indigenous peoples. We see the territory as a whole, not by communities, and we have the solution to conserve and restore the forests. Recently an oil spill devastated our territory and took away our water source. We expose our lives to protect the forest because we are part of it”. In this way, he emphasized the threats and difficulties present in the territory, which represent a barrier to exercising their self-determination and autonomy.
In this regard, the Director of Justice of GTANW, Tsanim Evaristo Wajai Asamat, called on governments to recognize their modes of governance, to carry out prior consultation with indigenous communities before the creation of a law, project, or concession that violates their rights and mainly to support initiatives such as the Charip monitoring, control and surveillance plan. The link we have with nature is what gives us the strength to defend our territory, this is a commitment to our future generations and all humanity. Indigenous peoples have always conserved and we contribute to the 30x30 goal because it is part of our worldview,” he said.
In turn, the director of the Territorial Governance Mechanism of Forest Trends, Marcio Halla, said that “cooperation contributes to strengthening the capacities of indigenous organizations in the territory, respecting their organizational structures and worldview. This allows the conservation of biodiversity and generates actions to stop the climate crisis. Supporting their forms of governance and their autonomy allows them to influence the defense of their territories and rights.
It is important to point out that all participants agreed that Autonomous Territorial Governments are a form of integrated governance that responds to the needs of indigenous peoples and at the same time aligns with the global objectives that at least 30% of terrestrial spaces, inland waters and the ocean should be protected and conserved by 2030, Target 3 of the Global Framework for Biological Diversity. The event highlighted that the fulfillment of the 30x30 Target should consider inclusive approaches to conservation in which Indigenous peoples have a leading role and more support, in line with the protection of their rights and the importance of their territory's conservation of life for their survival and the planet.
In this event led by AIDESEP and supported by WWF, also participated Apus Teddy Sinacay, president of the Central de Comunidades Nativas de la Selva Central (CECONSEC), and Alejandro Irey, president of the Consejo Harakbut Yine y Machiguenga (COHARYIMA), and Balvanera Cruz, deputy director of the BLF Amazonian Andes Project, in the framework of COP 16, with the support of BLF Amazonian Andes projects, financed by International Development UK under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, deputy director of the BLF Andes Amazon Project, in the framework of COP 16, with the support of the BLF Andes Amazon Project, funded by UK International Development under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, and Connecting Landscape for the Well-being of People and Nature.
Indigenous peoples' territories of life
COP16 also served as a space to draw attention to the urgent need to discuss the territories of life of indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon because of their essential role in ensuring the life, culture, and spirituality of the communities.
In the different spaces, the leaders found that their ancestral knowledge and practices are conservation pillars of biodiversity. Therefore, Indigenous peoples are key allies in achieving national and global biodiversity targets, especially target 3, which seeks to conserve and effectively manage at least 30% of the world's terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas by 2030.
As part of the indigenous peoples' proposals, direct financing for indigenous peoples was also proposed, to strengthen actions for the conservation, management, and defense of indigenous territories and the biological diversity they possess.
In addition, COP-16 in Cali marked a milestone by adopting the Subsidiary Body that gives life to the 8j Work Program, prioritizing tasks that directly contribute to the timely, full, and effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and recognizing that traditional knowledge, innovations, practices, and technologies of Indigenous Peoples, as well as their traditional knowledge, practices and technologies, are essential for their sustainable development, practices and technologies of Indigenous Peoples should be valued and considered relevant. The knowledge generation processes and integrity of each knowledge system should be respected. A holistic approach should be adopted by the spiritual and cultural values of indigenous peoples and nationalities.
-----
BLF Andes Amazonico is funded by UK International Development under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund and is implemented by a consortium led by Practical Action and also comprised of NCI, AIDESEP, WWF, TERRA NUOVA, and COSPE. It seeks to contribute to the transformation of current systems in the Amazonian Andes Landscape, a transboundary territory (Peru-Ecuador) of great biodiversity and cultural richness.
Connecting the landscape for the well-being of people and nature. In Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, these actions are being carried out to conserve essential natural resources for all and build a future in which both people and nature thrive, within the framework of the project 'Connecting the Landscape for the Well-being of People and Nature, with the support of the Sall Foundation.
© AIDESEP
