Territorial recognition and right to FPIC are key to sustaining biodiversity in the world
…. APA advocates, as global climate meetings take place
Territorial recognition and respect for the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) principles are necessary to ensure that Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon can continue to sustain biological diversity in the world. This was the position of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), as part of a Coalition of Indigenous organisations of the Amazon region (G9 of the Indigenous Amazon), at the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties on the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia in October.
This comes in light of recent high level climate change and the environment meetings happening such as New York Climate Week, USA, and the 29th Conference of Parties on the UN Framework Convention on the Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The latter meeting is currently ongoing, with the Association collaborating with the G9 of the Indigenous Amazon to further its position.
The organisation prioritised advocating that Indigenous Peoples’ right to land, consultation, and their customary knowledge and governance systems were part of the outcomes from the Colombia Conference. The Association was represented by APA President Lemmel Benson Thomas, and Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Nicholas Peters, with support from the Organización Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonia Colombiana (OPIAC).
The Association also participated in the launch of the G9 of the Indigenous Amazon, along with eight Indigenous Peoples Organisations of the Amazon region. This included representatives from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana. The G9 was formed as a coordination body to articulate technical positions in matters of global decision-making that affect indigenous peoples, and to ensure that policies value Indigenous Knowledge Systems, protect territorial rights and coordinate with governments.
During the launch of the coordination body, in a joint statement from the G9 affirmed that Indigenous Peoples are the ancestral owners of their territories, guardians and administrators of biodiversity, the Amazon forests and the life of the planet. The G9 reiterated that without the participation, and consultation of Indigenous Peoples from the region, any action on biodiversity or climate change would be without foundation.
“In the face the threats confronting us, natural resource exploitation, deforestation, hydrocarbon exploitation, mining, organized crime, climate variability, invasion, expansion of the agricultural frontier and dispossession of our territories, we reaffirm our ancestral commitment to be strategic partners in the protection and conservation of biodiversity and life,” stated the joint-statement.
Furthermore, the coalition of Amazonian organisations reiterated that the current environmental crisis can be cured from the territories that are best preserved on the continent. “Therefore, the titling and demarcation of our territories is a fundamental pillar in the fight against the climate and biodiversity crisis,” shared the group. “Otherwise, we will not have Peace with Nature [sic].”
Moreover, the APA participated at several side-events in the Maloca (Benab) of the COP16 Green Zone whereby it advocated for the participation of Indigenous peoples, and communities in climate financial schemes designed to directly benefit these groups. This includes guaranteeing that Indigenous Peoples are consulted on and can negotiate the terms of their participation and benefits in climate action programmes.
From COP16, the Association welcomes the establishment of a Subsidiary Body that houses the Programme of Work on Article 8(j). This was regarded as victory for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, who regarded that the creation of the Subsidiary Body as a fundamental demand of the movement at COP. The establishment of the Subsidiary Body means that Indigenous Peoples and local communities have a permanent, high-level route to integrate the importance of Traditional Knowledge in biodiversity protective actions.
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