APA President, Mr. Lemmel Benson Thomas, recently participated in the 2nd Regional Meeting to discuss the progress and challenges in establishing the “Amazon Regional Platform of Indigenous Peoples.”
This platform, an initiative by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and supported by the Euroclima+ Programme, aims to foster knowledge exchange and best practices among Indigenous peoples that contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of the Amazon Forest. It also seeks to strengthen Indigenous participation in the global climate change agenda.
The second regional meeting took place from October 1 to 4, 2024, at the AECID Training Center in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The primary goal was to share the results, achievements, and challenges in the process of creating this platform, positioning it as a space for dialogue and collaboration. It focuses on integrating Indigenous knowledge related to resilience, adaptation, and mitigation in response to climate change in the Amazon region.
ACTO Acting Secretary General and Executive Director Vanessa Grazziotin delivered a key address, highlighting the importance of regional collaboration in tackling the Amazon’s shared challenges and the significance of this event in advancing Indigenous rights and environmental sustainability.
The meeting brought together delegates from the eight ACTO member countries, Indigenous representatives from the Amazon, and implementing agencies, including the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) under the Euroclima+ Program.