Highlighting Indigenous voices at COP29

FSC Indigenous Foundation leads dialogue at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

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The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), hosted in Azerbaijan in Baku from November 11-22, 2024, brought significant focus on the inclusion and integration of Indigenous knowledge into climate strategies. With the theme In Solidarity for a Green World, COP29 underscored the need for a transparent and collaborative approach to achieving climate goals.

Integrating Indigenous leadership: The Baku Workplan

At COP29, the adoption of the Baku Workplan. marked a significant advancement in elevating the voices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in climate action. The Workplan, developed through consensus, outlines key actions to promote knowledge exchange, build capacity, and integrate diverse values and knowledge systems into climate policies. It includes strategies such as regional engagement, collaboration with UNFCCC bodies, and creating roundtables for cross-generational dialogue. Additionally, by renewing the mandate of the Facilitative Working Group (FWG) of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP), COP29 also addressed barriers such as language accessibility and continuity in membership transitions, creating a pathway for inclusive and sustainable climate action.

Highlighting Indigenous contributions and challenges

One key moment of the conference was the side event titled “Empowering Indigenous Peoples: Driving Participation in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for Climate Action,” held at the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion on November 13.

The panel, led by key figures from the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF), IPACC, and REPALEAC, explored the pressing need for recognizing and including Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the climate action process, specifically through NDCs. Speakers included Salina Sanou (FSC-IF), Kanyinke Sena (IPACC), Balkisou Buba (REPALEAC), Samante Anne (FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee), and Mohamed Handaine (IPACC North Africa), who shared valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities.

Salina Sanou noted that a recent study of NDCs across eight countries in Africa revealed that “Indigenous Peoples are not recognized in NDCs, which highlights a major gap in inclusive climate frameworks.” This oversight undermines the effectiveness of climate strategies and prevents the incorporation of Indigenous Peoples’ unique knowledge systems.

Samante Anne added, “NDCs are typically government-driven. This presents a challenge, especially when the process is rushed and external consultants, who do not understand the African context, are hired to lead it. This exclusion persists despite the $1.2 billion that was allocated for climate mitigation in tropical forests at COP26.”

Kanyinke Sena pointed out that “only 22% of global NDCs mention Indigenous Peoples.” He emphasized the additional challenge that few African countries, such as Mauritania, South Sudan, Eritrea, Eswatini, and Namibia, incorporate Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge into their NDCs. He also shared that NDCs are categorized by country and often fail to integrate the cross-border perspectives of Indigenous Peoples. “Citizens need to read their NDCs to understand the gaps and advocate for inclusion,” he stressed.

The case for Indigenous knowledge and representation

Balkisou Buba highlighted that the lives of many Indigenous communities, including hers, are closely tied to livestock and traditional land practices, underscoring the need for NDCs that value and integrate Indigenous knowledge. She advocated for meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making, moving beyond symbolic “tick-box” roles.

“As a way forward, there is the need to empower Indigenous Peoples to be part of meaningful consultations towards the NDCs development. Indigenous Peoples should not be flowers in the discussion but assets,” she said.

Mohamed Handaine added that cutting Indigenous languages equates to severing the roots of Indigenous knowledge, emphasizing the need for adaptation policies that are language-inclusive.

A Path Forward: Actions and Recommendations

The event concluded with powerful calls to action:

Ensure Indigenous participation: Balkisou Buba and Samante Anne stressed the need to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are involved in every stage of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) consultations. Their participation is crucial for meaningful contributions to climate policy development.
Strengthen local and regional representation: Kanyinke Sena advocated for increasing Indigenous representation at regional forums such as SADC, ECOWAS, and the African Union, emphasizing the need for broader engagement in various sectors
Secure funding and capacity building: The speakers highlighted that African countries can fund only a small portion of their NDCs and must rely on external support. Kanyinke urged African nations to focus on research and fundraising for Indigenous-led climate initiatives.
Acknowledge rights holders: The panel emphasized that Indigenous Peoples should be recognized as rights holders rather than stakeholders. Samante Anne underlined the importance of ongoing dialogue to promote traditional knowledge and responsible business practices in NDCs.

Other highlights: financial commitments at COP29

COP29 in Baku marked significant progress in addressing the financial challenges of climate action, setting a long-term financial target of mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. This includes a foundational $300 billion annually to support vulnerable nations in enhancing resilience, expanding energy access, and fostering sustainable development. However, \ reliance on mixed public-private funding and voluntary contributions from developing nations has drawn criticism. The “Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T,” led by the COP Presidencies, will guide progress toward these ambitious financial goals.

Indigenous leaders call attention to climate change impacts and solutions at COP29

At COP29, Indigenous leaders from around the world shared harrowing accounts of climate change’s devastating effects on their communities, from catastrophic floods to rising seas. Yet, amid these challenges, they also brought solutions, showcasing their traditional ecological knowledge and vital role in combating global warming. Their voices underscore the urgent need for inclusive climate policies that address the disproportionate impacts they face while leveraging their centuries-old practices for sustainable land management and resilience.

During COP29, Ms. Hindou Oumarou, a member of the Fulani Mbororo People of Chad, Chair of the FSC Indigenous Foundation Council, and an environmental and Indigenous Peoples activist, highlighted the devastating impact of climate change on her community.

“Right now, we are experiencing the biggest floods we have ever had. Two million people have been displaced, and thousands are dead,” she shared, underscoring the urgency of the climate crisis. Her testimony echoes the experiences of many Indigenous communities worldwide, who bear the brunt of extreme weather events while playing a crucial role in climate resilience and land stewardship.

Conclusion

COP29 highlighted the urgent need to integrate Indigenous knowledge into climate action. Recommendations such as establishing localized climate funds, adapting policies to Indigenous needs, and strengthening collaboration with Indigenous communities mark important steps toward a more inclusive future.

The progress made at COP29 sets the stage for further action. By continuing to elevate Indigenous perspectives, we can shape a greener, more resilient future for all.

Rights, recognition, and economic opportunities for Indigenous Peoples across Africa

At COP16 the FSC Indigenous Foundation signed an agreement with the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC)

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The Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC) is the largest Indigenous Peoples’ network in the world, made up of 135 Indigenous Peoples’ organizations in 21 African countries and headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa.

At the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16, the FSC Indigenous Foundation is pleased to announce that we are expanding our collaboration with IPACC. Together, we will work with and for Indigenous Peoples in Africa to promote rights, self-development, and landscapes across the continent.

Our collaboration will focus on:

Capacity sharing to advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Africa: including strategic planning, IPACC’s women’s strategy, and technical support.

Promoting recognition and participation of Indigenous Peoples: for rights and self-governance of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making related to land and resources management.

Diversifying economic activities rooted in Indigenous cosmovision and traditional knowledge: including resource mapping, partnerships, technical support, and small grants for Indigenous women-led enterprises.

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.

We believe that working together with Indigenous Peoples is crucial for both their communities and the well-being of our planet. Join us to create sustainable impact for Africa’s biodiversity and beyond.

For more information, please contact:

Salina Sanou

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

s.sanou@fsc.org

Inclusive dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and the government in Kenya

We are excited to sign an agreement with the Ogiek Peoples Development Program at COP16 to expand our collaboration with and for the Ogiek Peoples and their forests.

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The Ogiek People have a deep, ancestral connection to the Mau Forest, viewing it as not just a physical space, but a vital part of their cultural identity and cosmovion. As guardians of this rich ecosystem, the Ogiek have practiced sustainable land management techniques for millenia that reflect their profound understanding of the forest’s biodiversity. Their traditional knowledge ensures the forest remains healthy and resilient.

In the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16, the FSC Indigenous Foundation signed an agreement with the Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP) building on our existing project for Ogiek women’s socio-economic empowerment. We will expand our collaboration to support a dialogue between the Ogiek Peoples and government institutions regarding policies based on Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

Through this work, the Ogiek People will be able to sustainably manage and restore their forests while advocating for their rights and recognition of their traditional knowledge.

Read an article authored by OPDP Executive Director Daniel Kobei on how the Ogiek People are conserving medicinal forest plants for future generations.

Watch the video below to learn about the connection between the Ogiek People and biodiversity.

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.

Join us in supporting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and their invaluable connection to our forests. Together, we can support Indigenous Peoples to protect these vital landscapes for future generations.

For more information, please contact:

Salina Sanou

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

s.sanou@fsc.org

Weaving Life

Indigenous women’s organizations of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, Guatemala gathered to share knowledge, experiences, and strategies, and dialogue with stakeholders.

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Quetzaltenango, Guatemala – The FSC Indigenous Foundation, in collaboration with Hivos and the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB), through the Coordinating Committee of Women Territorial Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT), organized a National Meeting of Indigenous Women’s Organizations of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán, Guatemala. This significant event, part of the Indigenous Women’s Economic Empowerment (I-WEE) Initiative, took place on August 8 and 9, to strengthen the empowerment and advocacy of Indigenous women.

The event brought together more than 100 delegates from over 30 Indigenous women’s organizations participating in the I-WEE initiative and key stakeholders from international cooperation and private and public sectors. It served as a platform to explore new solutions and strategies for Indigenous women to be at the center of economic and political actions.

Participants shared knowledge, experiences, and strategies on three crucial topics:

Indigenous women’s political participation and advocacy
Addressing violence against Indigenous women
Economic empowerment of Indigenous women

The Mayan cosmovision was the foundation of the event, opening each day with an offering of gratitude and closing with a spiritual moment. Participants sat in a circle around an altar in the center with offerings of candles symbolizing the four cardinal points, as well as the Heart of Heaven, the Heart of the Earth, and flowers. The slogan for the event was “Weaving Life.”

Day 1: Empowerment and recognition among Indigenous women

During the first day, delegates of Indigenous women’s organizations connected, shared wisdom, and discussed their experiences on the three key topics.

In the first word circle, “Indigenous women and their participation in politics, in decision-making spaces and the challenges and opportunities encountered,” Indigenous women emphasized the importance of being recognized as active subjects in politics and decision-making. They shared challenges such as violence, machismo, competition between women, and discrimination, for example for wearing their traditional clothing. They proposed solutions for increasing the visibility of Indigenous women, starting in the family, all the way to participation in politics. Media and communications can be a tool for change. Another solution proposed was the need for workshops for men to understand how to treat and work with women. One conclusion was clear – the need for regulations promoting parity and alternation, not just in the political sphere.

Those who did not have the opportunity to speak added their ideas with post-it notes to the wall, and this information was collected and incorporated into the dialogues the following day with stakeholders.

The next word circle, “Advocacy actions that can be implemented by communities to reduce violence against Indigenous women,” featured two life stories of Indigenous women survivors of violence who have managed to leave abusive relationships. They have taken on leadership roles in their communities, helping others to overcome violence.

Solutions were proposed at all levels, including the need for justice; training for women on rights and for the staff of institutions that guarantee women’s rights on how to provide dignified, respectful, accessible, and culturally relevant care; and the importance of self-love.

“I feel fortunate to be a Mayan woman,” said one participant.

Participants also discussed the importance of healing processes and ceremonies, and Nan Graciela Velasquez Chuc led a healing process with plants.

The final word circle of the day, “What is being done for the economic development and entrepreneurship of Indigenous women” included interventions from women involved in various economic projects, from textiles to chocolate and tomatoes. In the absence of political participation due to racism, economic development was noted as a key channel for Indigenous women’s empowerment.

Women shared their stories to create businesses, highlighting key challenges such as water scarcity, harvest loss, sanitary licenses, organizational strengthening, production equipment, and the need for increased technical knowledge. Indigenous women’s organizations have been overcoming these challenges through knowledge exchanges, healing from the Mayan cosmovision, and articulating exactly what they wanted to achieve. One participant noted that this is the definition of empowerment – knowing what you want and seeing the path to achieve it.

As a closing of this word circle, Patricia Chuc led a self-care and wellness activity that incorporated breathing, motion, and water.

The day concluded with a cultural evening with a performance by the Maya Kaqchikel group Sotz’il Jay and a reading by Mayan poet Negma Coy. It invited a reflection on how art can be healing and a uniting force.

Day 2: Collaborative dialogues with key actors

On the second day, key actors from communities, Indigenous Peoples’ authorities, local and national governments, UN agencies, implementing partners, multilateral organizations, businesses, and civil society joined the event for inclusive dialogues. The contributions and insights from Indigenous women gathered the previous day were organized into prioritized topics. These were then shared during the dialogues to ensure the creation of impactful actions and strategies that consider the identity and culture of Indigenous women.

The first dialogue “Actions to promote the political participation of Indigenous women” highlighted the importance of Indigenous women’s own mobilization and advocacy. Participants also noted the need for transparent information on resources directed to them, and for projects and programs that respond to Indigenous women’s realities, priorities, and leadership.

Indigenous women’s power and valuable contributions were highlighted, especially in the promotion of peace. Women have different ways of seeing and making decisions, and this complementarity is needed at all levels. One Indigenous woman participant noted the “wealth of the struggles we have in common.”

At the end of this dialogue, the Indigenous women participants read the demands they had formulated the day before, which included: reform of the Electoral and Political Parties Law, promoting that each political party has at least 50% participation of Indigenous women; creation and promotion of opportunities for women by the State to participate in socio-political environments under equal conditions; strengthening and financing of institutions created to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous women.

The second dialogue “Actions to prevent and reduce violence against Indigenous women” highlighted the importance of education of women and youth on their rights.

The women’s demands included: a judicial system that responds effectively to complaints of violence with cultural relevance; better medical and psychological health care for survivors of violence, as well as training for health personnel; mass visual and radio awareness campaigns aimed at the entire population to promote a culture of peace and prevention of violence; culturally relevant care for women in Mother languages with respect for their culture, beliefs, and way of life; laws, policies, plans and programs in favor of women respond to their needs and emerge from the grassroots level.

The final dialogue of the day “I support economic development and Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship” highlighted the need for concrete and transparent funding, beyond words of commitment.

The women read their demands in this area, mentioning: facilitating market access for Indigenous women’s products; providing women with seed capital to strengthen their enterprises; providing Indigenous women with new technologies and capacity building for their use, together with their Indigenous knowledge; promoting spaces for the exchange of experiences at the local, national, regional and international levels with Indigenous women entrepreneurs; and that implementing partners do not duplicate efforts, but rather develop integral processes according to their specialties to support enterprises.

To close the two-day event, participants received recognition awards created in wood with the name of the event in ancient Mayan epigraphic writing, before an energetic closing before the alter to end the two-day meeting.

Pioneering elements of this initiative

The FSC Indigenous Foundation introduced several pioneering elements at the event, emphasizing an Indigenous women’s cosmovision perspective.

One of the key innovations was providing simultaneous interpretation in the Mayan languages K’iche’ and Mam, in addition to Spanish and English, to facilitate participation in the women’s mother languages. The FSC-IF, in collaboration with Angloservicios, provided training for the K’iche’ and Mam interpreters on using Zoom’s virtual interpretation booths. This likely marks the first time simultaneous interpretation of Indigenous languages has been included in a national event in Guatemala.

Another crucial element was childcare provision, recognizing that many women cannot attend activities and workshops due to childcare responsibilities. The FSC-IF has incorporated childcare in all I-WEE workshops so mothers participate fully while their children engage and learn together. Facilitators used a ludo-pedagogical methodology, incorporating elements of the Mayan cosmovision for the children.

The way forward

This event underscores the commitment of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and its partners to support Indigenous women’s organizations in Guatemala to lead their development. The Meeting initiated concrete actions to promote Indigenous women’s economic, political, and social empowerment.

FSC-IF will consolidate the results of the dialogues of the meeting together with the demands articulated by Indigenous women. We will return this information to the Indigenous women’s organizations to accompany them, together with partners and allies, in positioning in different spaces and mechanisms of decision-making, resource mobilization, and design and implementation of programs and projects.

We are continuously seeking technical and financial partners to expand our work with I-WEE and other crucial initiatives. If your organization or business is interested in collaborating with us and with Indigenous women for sustainable change, we invite you to connect at fsc.if@fsc.org.

About I-WEE

The I-WEE initiative works with Indigenous women and girls in Guatemala and Honduras to promote their economic empowerment by strengthening capacities, generating enabling environments for their active participation and advocacy, and strengthening productive initiatives led by Indigenous women. It is implemented by FSC-IF in collaboration with partners AMBP, Hivos, UNDP, FAO, and UN Women / Indigenous Women’s Platform and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) with private sector partners.

About FSC Indigenous Foundation

The FSC Indigenous Foundation is a global Indigenous organization promoting Indigenous-led actions for their development and self-reliance. We work to elevate Indigenous Peoples in their contribution to the protection of Mother Earth and recognize them as providers of solutions and partners to fight against global challenges.

About AMPB

The Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB) is a network of Indigenous Peoples and local communities that protect the largest forested areas from Panama to Mexico, seeking solutions for a balanced coexistence with nature safeguarding ancestral knowledge and combining it with innovative ideas. The AMPB promotes capacity building for Indigenous women through the Coordinating Unit of Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica (CMLT).

About Hivos

The Humanist Institute for the Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos) is an international organization working for a world in which people can realize their full potential and unleash their ingenuity and creativity to build just and sustainable societies for themselves and future generations. Hivos’ mission is to amplify and connect voices that promote social and environmental justice and challenge power imbalances.

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