COP16 sidelines Indigenous voices

As international delegates flew home from COP16 in Cali, Colombia, Indigenous leaders from the region began weighing up their wins and losses. Bringing together officials from almost 200 countries, November’s UN summit set out to find solutions to the destructive loss of biodiversity. Leaders from Upper Amazon communities in Colombia and Ecuador attended, arguing for the role of Indigenous governance for conservation. While deforestation was once significantly lower in Indigenous territories than the rest of the Amazon, the devastation caused by land clearances, drought and warming temperatures now threatens the lives and homes of 1.7 million Indigenous people.

Reflecting on the two-week conference, the leaders acknowledge that some significant achievements were made. For example, the creation of a permanent subsidiary body allowing Indigenous peoples to advise on future COP negotiations has been described as a ‘watershed moment’ for Indigenous representation.