Leaders of the Amazon Basin participate in the “V Amazon Summit of Indigenous Peoples.”
By: Eduardo Nugkuag Cabrera
On September 5 and 6, the «V Amazon Summit of Indigenous Peoples: Solutions for a Living Amazon» was held in the city of Lima. The great international event was organized by the Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) at the Convention Center of Lima, and welcomed the leaders, chiefs, delegates and representatives of the Amazonian Indigenous movement, as well the different strategic allies, academics, and scientists.
COICA is an Indigenous Organization which, since its creation in 1984, has contributed to the defense of collective rights in the areas of health, education, environment, economy and social issues based on governance and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. Through these actions, COICA has sought to watch over, defend, protect, and provide territorial security within the framework of respect for the ways of life, principles, and social, spiritual, and cultural values of the Indigenous Peoples.
Thus, COICA, throughout its 38 years of work, has become an articulating and leading actor on the international stage, in which it proposes solutions to a variety of issues. The “V Amazon Summit of Indigenous Peoples” evidenced this, as it was a space that enabled COICA to demonstrate its Indigenous-led response to global warming and climate change. This is of utmost importance since the Amazon is home to more than 450 Indigenous groups that currently protect 240 million hectares of forest. Additionally, these peoples are fighting for the titling of more than 100 million additional hectares not yet legally recognized, in order to have the legal certainty they need to continue contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by preserving these ecosystems.
Thus, during the meeting in Lima, the 9 national Amazonian organizations: AIDESEP (Peru): The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle; CONFENIAE (Ecuador): The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon; CIDOB (Bolivia): Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia; COIAB (Brazil): Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon; OPIAC (Colombia): National Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon; ORPIA (Venezuela): Regional Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Amazonas; APA (Guyana): Association of Amerindian Peoples; OIS (Suriname): Indigenous Organizations of Suriname; FOAG (French Guiana): Federation of Indigenous Organizations of French Guiana; met to lead the urgent Amazonian agenda to safeguard the ecosystems that make up this region and also its current and future inhabitants.
Under the motto “Solutions for a living Amazon”, the event highlighted the participation of women and young people from the different Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon basin. The objective of the summit was fulfilled by bringing together the members of the indigenous organizations of the nine countries that make up the Amazon basin, along with different strategic allies in order to create an effective action plan for a living Amazon and join forces to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025. In this way, a call was made to the different governments to take immediate action. A central theme during the event was the public denunciation of the ineffectiveness of the authorities in the region in responding to the high rate of murders of different indigenous leaders defending the Amazonian territory.
Part of the important actions agreed after the discussion in the panels and parallel forums of the Summit, was the creation of 4 working groups. On the one hand, the table named «Solutions in governance and territorial management», where issues related to territory, natural resources, climate change and biodiversity were worked on. On the other hand, the table «Solutions for policies and human rights» revolved around the issues of the defense of uncontacted peoples and the national advocacy agenda. Following this was the table «Solutions for gender and generational equity» which discussed the equal participation and involvement of women and young people in decision-making for the incidence and communal well-being of families. Finally, the table “Alliance Strategies for the financial and operational sustainability of COICA and its grassroots organizations” worked on topics related to Indigenous economy and financing mechanisms for financial sustainability for the organizational structure of the Indigenous Peoples.
The “V Amazon Summit” of the Indigenous Peoples of the nine countries of the Amazon Basin became a space where the representative organizations traced a path and built together a route for the defense of the Amazon and its great diversity, both natural and cultural. The event made it possible to analyze and build real alternatives in the form of an action plan, which involved forging alliances and undertaking joint actions of resistance against developmentalism and megaprojects within the territories. The latter have been sponsored for the most part by the governments in power from an exclusionary standpoint, which has become an imminent threat to Indigenous Peoples and the ways of life of present and future generations in the Amazon. This action plan will serve as valuable input for the delegation that will travel to represent Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon at COP 27 in Egypt.
After the first 2 days of hard work, on Wednesday 7, Thursday 8 and Friday 9 September, the XI General Congress of COICA was held, which is the body that constitutes the highest authority of the organization and is held every 4 years. This year there was a special element since it was scheduled to execute a statutory change according to the following moments:
1. Review and reform of the COICA statute. After an extensive and fruitful debate by the delegates of the 9 countries of the Amazon basin, it was approved unanimously.
2. Presentation and management report 2018-2022. Which the report of the board of directors and the 9 coordinations on the activities carried out during the management was made public knowledge, in the same way the financial balance and its economic management reports were shown, as well as the achievements and challenges to enhance the actions of COICA, which was put into consideration and the leaders and delegates of the 9 countries unanimously approved the management
3. Election of the Governing Council for the period 2022-2026. The election of the new directive was due. However, the indigenous organization of French Guiana (FOAG) could not fulfill its chair members according to the statute, so it was resolved by majority to postpone the electoral process and hold an extraordinary congress in the following year to resolve this issue.
With the participation of 98 leaders representing more than 511 Indigenous Peoples and more than 300 participants from indigenous organizations, the V Amazon Summit of Indigenous Peoples and the XI General Congress of COICA served as scenarios led by the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basinthat made it possible to highlight the problems faced in the territory, generate real proposals, and request the support of current governments and the international cooperation to jointly provide an efficient response to the current challenges faced by communities.
