The FSC Indigenous Foundation Will Be Present at the Global Events Meeting Point in Panama 2025

Climate Week and Nature Summit in Panama

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The future of development lies in the integration of ancestral knowledge, technology, and circular economy to build resilience and adapt to climate change. From May 19 to 23, 2025, Panama will host Climate Week 2025 and the Nature Summit, positioning itself as a global hub for climate action. Though distinct in approach, both events share a vision of inclusive, transformative solutions. The FSC Indigenous Foundation’s participation—through leaders like Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim and Minnie Degawan—underscores the vital role of Indigenous voices in global climate decision-making.

Climate Week: Turning Commitments into Action

Organized by the UNFCCC, Climate Week is a global platform that brings together governments, organizations, and civil society—highlighting Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to climate solutions. In 2025, two editions will take place: the first in Panama (May 19–23) and the second in Africa, both paving the way for COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

After a pause, Climate Week returns to turn Paris Agreement commitments into action. Key themes include NDC implementation, climate financing, technology, carbon markets, and the vital role of Indigenous communities in climate governance.

Nature Summit: Driving Investment

In parallel with Climate Week, the Nature Summit will take place at Panama’s Biomuseo, uniting government leaders, investors, and experts to drive nature-based solutions. The summit seeks to align public and private investments with UN goals on climate, biodiversity, and desertification—promoting a regenerative economy grounded in ecosystem conservation and Indigenous leadership.

The FSC Indigenous Foundation will play a key role, amplifying Indigenous-led solutions and advocating for funding that reflects community priorities. As Indigenous leader Minnie Degawan affirms, “Funds must align with Indigenous priorities.” Like Climate Week, the Nature Summit offers a high-level platform to mobilize capital, partnerships, and political will through innovation, science, and ancestral knowledge.

The Role of Indigenous Peoples

Both events recognize Indigenous Peoples as essential actors in the climate struggle. Indigenous communities manage a quarter of the world’s lands, which host 80% of global biodiversity. This reality demonstrates that Indigenous Peoples are already leading solutions based on their worldviews, and that their ancestral knowledge is vital to addressing climate and conservation challenges.

In this context—where conventional solutions have proven insufficient—the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF), led by Managing Director Minnie Degawan, together with other Indigenous representatives will highlight the contributions of Indigenous Peoples in resolving the global issues.

The Foundation’s role is to showcase Indigenous forest management, ancestral governance, and intergenerational knowledge offer viable and holistic responses to climate change and biodiversity conservation. The FSC-IF aims to support efforts by Indigenous Peoples for these messages to be heard by policy makers and other actors.

It also works to ensure that global climate policies recognize and respect the territorial and cultural rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Two Paths Toward the Same Goal

Although Climate Week and the Nature Summit share a common goal, their approaches differ. Climate Week emphasizes fulfilling and following up on multilateral commitments, strengthening national and local capacities, and fostering dialogue among diverse actors through workshops, forums, and participatory spaces. In contrast, the Nature Summit positions itself as a high-level platform focused on mobilizing resources and investments, connecting governments, funders, and public sector leaders with conservation and sustainable development initiatives. While one prioritizes action through policy and planning, the other drives implementation through strategic financing and innovative partnerships. Both contribute to the same goal: a just, effective, and inclusive ecological transition.

Following the Voices That Care for Mother Earth

The FSC Indigenous Foundation’s participation in these forums is another step in the fight for climate action that recognizes the ancestral knowledge and rights of Indigenous Peoples. From their active role in defending territories to their presence in international forums, these voices are key to imagining a sustainable, just, and diverse future.

Over the years, the Foundation has worked globally alongside Indigenous organizations to strengthen their capacities, implement dialogue processes, and ensure that their priorities are at the center of decision-making. This includes training in economic development, sustainable forest management, and the design and implementation of project approval mechanisms led by Indigenous Peoples themselves.

We invite all governmental, financial, and social actors to closely follow the Foundation’s work and commit to a future where investments align with Indigenous voices and priorities. It is time for global financing to take root in these realities.

Voices of the Land: Amplifying Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Action

In honor of Mother Earth Day, we invite you to listen to the voices that have long spoken for her.

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Forests are more than trees—they are living ecosystems of culture, sustenance, and ancestral wisdom. For Indigenous Peoples, forests provide not only food and medicine, but also identity and a profound spiritual connection to Mother Earth.

And yet, with accelerating deforestation, what is at stake is not only biodiversity—but generations of Indigenous knowledge and responsible forest management practices that have quietly sustained the planet.

🌱 This Mother Earth Day, we are proud to mark the soft launch of Voices of the Land, a global campaign by the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF)—in collaboration with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)—that uplifts Indigenous Knowledge Systems as vital, time-tested solutions for climate resilience and responsible forest stewardship.

🎥 Voices of the Land | Soft Launch Video

Filmed in Aotearoa (New Zealand) during the Oceania Regional Meeting of the Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC), this video captures voices from the land—Indigenous leaders and youth expressing what forest stewardship and honoring Mother Earth means to them.

More than a vision statement, the video is a call to action. It provokes emotion, invites global collaboration, and urges decision-makers, organizations, and allies to recognize Indigenous leadership in climate solutions.

🌍 Why Voices of the Land?

This Mother Earth Day, we remember:

Indigenous Peoples protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity—yet their knowledge, languages, and cultural practices remain under threat.
25% of the world’s land is managed by Indigenous communities who have maintained these landscapes through generations of stewardship.

This campaign is a response to an ecological emergency—and a cultural one.

Voices of the Land seeks to bridge Indigenous knowledge with global sustainability efforts, advocate for Indigenous rights, and spark real action through policy, funding, and partnerships.

🌐 This Mother Earth Day, how will you stand with her?
Whether you’re a policymaker, business leader, environmental advocate, or ally, there are many ways to be part of this movement:

🤝 Advocate: Use your platform to elevate Indigenous voices in climate conversations.
🌾 Contribute: Support Indigenous-led initiatives through funding, technology, or resources.
📢 Share: Amplify the campaign in your networks and help build a global chorus for change.

📩 Interested in collaborating? Reach out to us at fsc.if@fsc.org
Together, let’s create space for Indigenous guardians of the forest to lead the way.

🌎 This Mother Earth Day, let’s not just celebrate the Earth—we must protect those who have protected her for generations.

Voices That Echo Through the Forest

Minnie Degawan at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

FSC IF

From the mountain ridges of the Philippines to the halls of the United Nations, the voices of Indigenous Peoples continue to rise—not in protest alone, but in wisdom, resilience, and deep-rooted knowledge of how to live in balance with nature.

This April, as world leaders and Indigenous representatives gather in New York for the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), our Managing Director Minnie Degawan—a proud Kankanaey Igorot woman—will be there, carrying the stories and hopes of Indigenous communities from around the globe. With the theme of this year’s session focused on “Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” the moment is not just symbolic—it’s strategic. It’s a time to spotlight good practices, confront persistent challenges, and most of all, listen to those who have safeguarded the planet for generations.

As part of our Voices of the Land campaign, Minnie’s presence at the Forum is more than participation—it’s a powerful act of advocacy. In a heartfelt video message to mark the occasion, she shares, “we believe that the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples is essential to the health of our planet.” Through Voices of the Land, we are sharing real stories of Indigenous leadership in forest stewardship, language preservation, and climate resilience—stories that often go unheard, but are vital to reimagining a sustainable future.

The campaign and the Forum intersect in their urgency. While Indigenous Peoples manage over 25% of the Earth’s land surface and protect 80% of its biodiversity, their rights remain fragile, their languages endangered, and their contributions under-recognized. At the FSC Indigenous Foundation, we’re committed to changing that narrative—by investing in Indigenous-led solutions, creating platforms for Indigenous voices, and calling for meaningful partnerships across all sectors.

We are also proud to share that Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of the FSC Indigenous Foundation Council, is leading this year’s Forum as the Chair of the UNPFII. Her leadership marks a moment of great promise—one in which Indigenous voices are not only represented, but guiding the way forward.

And with Mother Earth Day approaching on April 22, this is a time to reconnect with our roots, renew our commitments, and honor the Earth—as Indigenous Peoples have done since time immemorial.

📢 Get Involved:

Watch Minnie’s video message and share it with your network.
Follow us on social media for live updates from UNPFII 2025.
Support Indigenous-led solutions and fund transformation: contact us at fsc.if@fsc.org

FSC Indigenous Foundation welcomes Minnie Degawan as Managing Director

We are proud to announce the appointment of Minnie Degawan as its new Managing Director

FSC-IF

The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC IF) is proud to announce the appointment of Minnie Degawan as its new Managing Director, effective March 1, 2025.

With over thirty years of experience advocating for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and integrating their knowledge into global conservation efforts, Minnie’s leadership marks an exciting new chapter for the Foundation. Throughout her career, she has worked to ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ rights are upheld across diverse spaces, including in collaboration with the business sector—particularly within the forestry industry. This new role presents an opportunity to realize a long-held vision of bridging the business and Indigenous communities, fostering meaningful partnerships that drive both responsible forest stewardship and and respect for Indigenous rights.

Minnie, a member of the Kankanaey-Igorot people of the Cordillera region of the Philippines, brings a distinguished career to this position. She has most recently worked as a social safeguard’s consultant for The Nature Conservancy and previously as director of Conservation International’s Indigenous Peoples Program, where she co-led the GEF-funded Inclusive Conservation Initiative and secured funding. Her roles have included developing reallocation mechanisms for forest carbon finance, leading Indigenous negotiations programs, and fostering partnerships between Indigenous Peoples and global stakeholders.

Minnie’s strategic vision has driven transformational change throughout her career. As Managing Director, her goal is to position the FSC Indigenous Foundation as a globally recognized and influential organization that not only promotes the recognition and practice of Indigenous Peoples’ rights but also ensures their full integration into FSC’s global framework. Through her leadership, FSC-IF is strengthening its role as a bridge between Indigenous communities and sustainable forest management, advocating for policies, and economic opportunities that empower Indigenous Peoples as key actors in global conservation efforts.

“My vision for the Foundation is for it to be recognized globally as a credible Indigenous Peoples’ organization that can partner with diverse stakeholders to promote the recognition and actual practice of Indigenous Peoples’ rights,” Minnie said. “Through collaboration, inclusion and empowerment, we can ensure that indigenous voices are not only heard but are at the forefront of sustainability efforts.”

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the FSC Indigenous Foundation, praised Minnie’s extensive experience and dedication:

“Minnie’s leadership is a beacon of hope for indigenous peoples around the world. Her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing indigenous communities, combined with her track record of advocacy and partnership building, will take the FSC Indigenous Foundation to new heights. ”

The Permanent Indigenous Peoples’ Permanent Committee (PIPC), as an advisor to the FSC Board of Directors and a representative of the Indigenous voices and Peoples certified by the FSC, expresses, through its chair, Alina Santiago, its willingness to continue collaborating with the new director to strengthen the FSC Indigenous Foundation.

“The goal is to establish the Foundation as an organization that equips Indigenous Peoples with the necessary tools to promote and enhance both their organizations and the sustainable use of their forest resources.“

Subhra Bhattacharjee, Director General of the Forest Stewardship Council International and Founder of the FSC Indigenous Foundation, highlighted the importance of Minnie’s appointment:

“The FSC Indigenous Foundation was founded to create a platform for Indigenous Peoples to lead global dialogues on sustainability and responsible forest stewardship. Minnie’s appointment represents a strong step forward in fulfilling this mission.”

The FSC Indigenous Foundation also expresses its deep gratitude to Sarah Banda-Genchev, who has worked with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for over a decade and has served as Management Consultant and Acting Interim Managing Director of the FSC-IF since February 2024.

Under Minnie Degawan’s leadership, the FSC Indigenous Foundation is strengthening its impact by fostering global partnerships and advancing the rights and values of Indigenous Peoples. A key pillar of this work is supporting Indigenous-led solutions, ensuring that Indigenous communities can benefit from sustainable forestry while preserving their traditional knowledge and land stewardship practices. Minnie’s vision of global collaboration and recognition will drive meaningful and sustainable change, positioning Indigenous Peoples as leaders in responsible forest management and ensuring their full participation in the global FSC framework.

About the FSC Indigenous Foundation

The FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) is a global organization dedicated to advancing Indigenous Peoples’ rights, values, and leadership within the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) framework. Committed to promoting sustainable forest management, the Foundation works to increase Indigenous participation in FSC certification, governance, and decision-making. By fostering partnerships, advocating for Indigenous-led solutions, and integrating traditional knowledge into forest stewardship, FSC-IF strives to create a future where forests are sustainably managed with Indigenous Peoples as key actors in conservation, climate resilience, and equitable economic opportunities.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Maria De Leon
Communications Specialist
m.deleon@fsc.org

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