UN Nature Summit agrees on the body for Indigenous representation November 2, 2024

Representatives of Indigenous peoples burst into applause and chants when 196 countries agreed to a “subsidiary body” dedicated to Indigenous representation. JOAQUIN SARMIENTO

By AFP - Agence France Presse

UN Nature Summit agrees on the body for Indigenous representation

The world's largest nature protection conference agreed in Cali, Colombia, on Friday to create a permanent body to represent the interests of indigenous peoples under the UN biodiversity convention.

Representatives of Indigenous peoples, many of them wearing traditional costumes and hats, burst into applause and chants when 196 countries agreed to create a “subsidiary body” dedicated to “issues relevant to Indigenous peoples and local communities.”

It was the first major breakthrough at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, which opened in Cali almost two weeks ago and came to an end on Friday when delegates clashed over ways to raise funds for nature conservation plans.

“This is an unprecedented moment in the history of multilateral agreements on the environment,” Camila Romero, an Indigenous representative from Chile, told delegates after the adoption at the summit, whose theme was ‘Peace with Nature.’

“The parties recognized the constant need for our full and effective participation, our knowledge and innovations, technology and traditional practices,” she added.

The delegates also agreed on a specific role for communities of African descent in the new subsidiary body, although several details have yet to be resolved.

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