News

Partnership with REPALEAC for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, economies, and forest ecosystems in Central Africa

At COP16, the FSC Indigenous Foundation and REPALEAC signed agreement to implement new activities with and for Indigenous Peoples in the Congo Basin

October 23, Cali, Colombia — We are excited to announce our agreement with the Network of Indigenous and Local Communities for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPALEAC) to implement new initiatives with Indigenous Peoples in Central Africa. This partnership will focus on strengthening organizations, advancing Indigenous rights and economies, and promoting the sustainable management of their lands and territories.

Central Africa’s forest ecosystems are rich in biodiversity. We know that Indigenous Peoples are proven to be the best stewards of biodiversity — especially when their ancestral knowledge is recognized and their rights upheld. By enhancing the capacities of REPALEAC and its member organizations in communications, participatory land mapping, and in the implementation and monitoring of their strategic plan, they will be able to participate in decision-making processes regarding access to and sustainable management of natural resources at local, national, and international levels.

Key components of our work plan include:

Capacity sharing: Enhancing the capacities of REPALEAC and its members through participatory trainings and exchanges.

Participation: Promoting Indigenous Peoples’ participation in the design, implementation, and validation of climate policies and programs and decision-making concerning access to, and sustainable management of lands and forests.

Economic empowerment: Developing and diversifying sustainable economic activities of Indigenous Peoples, including women and youth, based on their lands, territories and natural resources, and rooted in their ancestral knowledge. 

We believe that partnering with Indigenous Peoples is essential for their communities and the health of our planet, and our collaboration with REPALEAC ensures that Indigenous Peoples participate in crucial discussions and decisions on forests, biodiversity, and climate. Join us to make a lasting impact on the biodiversity of Central Africa and beyond.

Listen to Joseph Itongwa, Regional Coordinator for REPALEAC, on why data is important for Indigenous Peoples’ lands and rights. Our collaboration with REPALEAC includes collecting data on land tenure within Indigenous territories, cartography, participatory mapping, and the creation of databases to document the Indigenous Peoples’ lands in Central Africa.

The planned activities are part of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program, supported by USAID, the Forest Stewardship Council, and private sector partners.

For more information, please contact:

Salina Sanou

FSC-IF Regional Director for Africa and Asia and IPARD Deputy Director

s.sanou@fsc.org 

News

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is at COP16

Let's learn how to live in peace with nature from the world's best biodiversity stewards.

For Indigenous Peoples, Mother Earth is not only the place where we live, it is the sacred space in which we manifest spiritual connections with all living things. Rooted in ancestral cosmovision, we view the natural environment as an integral being that sustains life and the harmony of ecosystems. This is biodiversity. This is living in peace with nature. 

Joining global biodiversity discussions

From October 21 to November 1, 2024, the vibrant city of Cali, Colombia, will host the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Under the slogan “Peace with Nature,” this historic event calls for a renewed commitment to the preservation of our planet’s biodiversity and the sustainable use of its resources.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) will participate in COP16 to amplify the global voices of Indigenous Peoples and advocate for their crucial role in biodiversity conservation. 

At COP16, we aim to:

  • Collaborate: Engage with diverse stakeholders to build a comprehensive biodiversity agenda that values, recognizes and incorporates Indigenous knowledge
  • Network: Identify funding opportunities and strengthen partnerships with Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs), governments, and other key stakeholders
  • Influence: Highlight the vital importance of Indigenous knowledge in biodiversity stewardship, particularly under Article 8J of the CBD.

Why Indigenous knowledge matters

Indigenous Peoples are among the world’s most effective stewards of biodiversity, especially where their rights and recognized and supported. As biodiversity declines, so too does cultural and linguistic diversity. Protecting both is critical for our planet’s future. Promoting Indigenous rights and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and their valuable knowledge in biodiversity management and decision-making is essential for a successful global biodiversity framework.

Let’s learn how to live in peace with nature from the world’s best biodiversity stewards.

Biodiversity work in action

Explore FSC-IF impactful projects that illustrate our commitment to preserving biodiversity through Indigenous knowledge and solutions:

  • Boosting Indigenous Nature-Based Business Models: Collaborating with the IDB Lab and Health in Harmony in an innovative project to connect Indigenous Peoples with economic opportunities that align with their cultural values and biodiversity conservation efforts by collaboratively designing a market seal.
  • Indigenous Peoples and water: Integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into sustainable models of transboundary watershed management.

FSC-IF numbers of impact

See more numbers of impact for Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity, and forests, and read the stories behind the numbers here.

Our delegation at COP16

Indigenous leaders and our partners

Aulina Ismare Opua, Cacica Wounaan General Congress.

Wounaan People, Panama.

Daniel Kobei, Executive Director, Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP)

Ogiek People, Kenya.

Juan Carlos Jintiach, Executive Secretary, Global Alliance for Territorial Communities (GATC)

Shuar People, Ecuador.

Mala Mareachealee, Deputy Director, Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC)

Nadia Gómez, FSC-IF Indigenous Advisor, and FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC) representative from South America

Warpe People, Argentina.

Norlando Meza, TV Indígena

Guna People, Panama.

Sara Madriz Martinez, Mesoamerican Alliance for Peoples and Forests (AMPB)

Cabécar People, Costa Rica.

Yoselin Yissel Casama Martínez, Association of Women Artisans of Ipeti Embera (AMARIE),

Emberá People, Panama

Get involved, make a difference

We are leading global efforts towards long-term and resilient Indigenous-led solutions. With Indigenous Peoples, we can conserve and restore biodiversity for everyone’s survival.

The FSC-IF seeks partnerships with governments, multilateral institutions, and the private sector to achieve visionary goals by leveraging the power of your resources, your expertise, and your innovative tools. Let’s work together to elevate Indigenous solutions for biodiversity stewardship and shape policies that respect and incorporate traditional knowledge.

Follow our journey: Check out our website and social media for updates, video interviews with our delegation, and our objectives at COP 16.

Connect with us: If you would like to meet us during COP16 to discuss how we can build sustainable solutions together, write to us at fsc.if@fsc.org 

Together, we can ensure that the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples is recognized and integrated into the global biodiversity agenda.