Indigenous Voices

Indigenous leaders demand the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into public policies on biodiversity

January 10, 2021

From April 4 to 6 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, a group of representatives of indigenous communities shared traditional knowledge in order to contribute effectively to the conservation of biodiversity in the Amazon basin.

The event, called "International Meeting to develop and design an instrument that incorporates traditional knowledge for the proper management of biological diversity and well being in the Amazon Region”, was attended by Indigenous leaders from COICA (Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin), as well as prominent experts, scientists and members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO).

En el evento estuvo presente Tabea Casique del pueblo Asheninka de Perú, quien actúa como Coordinadora de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología de la COICA. En una entrevista para el CEFO Indígena, expresó lo siguiente acerca del evento:

“We are here to raise awareness of our realities as Indigenous peoples. In addition, we have come to promote actions that have to be carried out jointly if we want to talk about a true policy for protecting biodiversity in our region”.

The event was also attended by Teresita Antazú, director of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP) and a specialist in issues regarding women's struggle for territorial rights and preservation of ancestral knowledge. During the meeting, Antazú mentioned that:

“Governments must recognize Indigenous peoples' right to their territory. This is the core of our struggle, the need for territorial legal security. We must solve the issue of Indigenous territorial rights before we speak about measures for the protection of our planet”.

It should be noted that Indigenous ancestral knowledge was highly valued during the meeting, and was incorporated into the Rapid Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Amazon, which is implemented by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute of Colombia.

It is important to mention that the Rapid Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Amazon is directed by a Scientific Committee and made up by more than 100 specialists from different countries in the Amazon region. The first meeting was held in October 2021 and was attended by 116 experts who defined the scope and drafted a document that analyzes the conceptual and methodological framework of the structure proposed by the IPBES.

For more information on the history and current status of the incorporation of traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples as essential tools to face climate change, we recommend consulting the virtual blog " Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change " and the report from COP 26 in Glasgow “ Progress and perspectives in the inclusion of Indigenous Rights and financing for Climate Change mitigation at COP 26 ”, events organized by the CEFO resource hub.