Achievements and reflections from FPP partners at COP26

The UNFCCC Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow last month came at a critical point in the fight against climate change and the ecological and humanitarian crisis facing humanity and the planet. Despite the pandemic, hundreds of Indigenous Peoples and Local Community leaders and activists made it to Glasgow.  

 

“We welcome the inclusion of the rights of Indigenous Peoples in some provisions of Article 6, but are dismayed at their exclusion in activity design and implementation.  In particular, the consultation provision is totally inadequate.  It needs to include international standards and compliance with the right of free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples.” 

 

Indigenous Peoples Caucus closing statement to COP26 

FPP directly supported a delegation of 10 Indigenous leaders and representatives (see below), and the team were in Glasgow to support Indigenous and Local Community partners from our global network. Our partners both travelled to Glasgow and participated remotely to represent their nations, peoples and communities, share their experiences and renew their demands for recognition and support to protect their territories and rights.  

Their aim was to communicate directly with world leaders and the international community to highlight the ever-increasing threats from destructive commodity production, unsustainable global finance and investments and top-down, government-led forest and climate interventions that are putting the future of their communities at risk. It was also to share and advance indigenous-developed strategies and proposals that secure their rights to protect, sustainably use and govern their territories and traditional lands and sustain their vital contributions to global climate and biodiversity protection. 

Partners at COP26 – watch their interventions and presentations below 

Guyana

Chief Kokoi and Immaculata Casimero, Wapichan, representatives from southern Guyana. Their aim at COP was to reaffirm their longstanding call to the international community to recognise their territory, as well as highlighting the continued pressure they face from extractive industries that are damaging their lands without their consent. 

 

"We are the traditional owners of 1.6 million hectares of forest. Let us contribute. Let us be seen. We want the international community to see us as equal partners so we can work together so future generations have what we have to enjoy."

 

Chief Kokoi, Wapichan leader and elder 

• Watch: Al Jazeera English interview with Chief Kokoi of the Wapichan 

• Watch: Thinking together for those coming behind us (COP26 Blue Zone, 5 Nov 2021) 

 

“COP26 has been an extraordinary experience. This is where I’ve seen Indigenous Peoples from all over the globe come together as one.” 

 

Immaculata Casimero, Communications Officer for the South Rupununi District Council 

Colombia

Hernando Castro Suarez, a leader of the Nɨpodɨmakɨ-Uitoto people of the Colombian Amazon. Hernando gave an indigenous perspective on current international climate funds and programmes, in particular REDD+ and state-run protected areas  

• Read / Watch: “The Nɨpodɨmakɨ-Uitoto call on governments and peoples worldwide to respect Mother Earth). 

• Watch: Sustaining Life, Forests and the Climate for Future Generation (Originally Broadcast COP26 Blue Zone, 3 Nov 2021) 

 

“Our elders say that this pandemic is caused by the stubbornness of White people.  They caution that spiritually they sense the coming of more plagues and ‘bad air’ that will place the origin of human life in danger - unless we change our ways and ‘touch’ the Earth with respect.” 

 

Juragɨrokɨ (Hernando Castro Suarez) 

Peru

Isidro Sangama, Marisol Garcia Apagueño and Nelsith Sangama, Kichwa representatives from Peru. They presented their legal actions to demand the collective titling of their territories and challenge exclusionary state-managed conservation areas that are dispossessing them of their lands, in part financed by sales of carbon offsets to some of the planet’s worst polluters, including major oil and gas, aviation and international transport companies. Marisol and Nelsith shared the challenges they face to achieve gender equity and access to justice, education, and health services as women leaders. 

 

“We have been able to show that together we can move mountains. We must recreate this in our country and bring all Indigenous People together.” 

 

Marisol Garcia Apagueño, Kichwa leader from Tupac Amaru, Secretary of FEPIKECHA, Board Member of CODEPISAM 

 

"As women, we are worried because we ask ourselves - in 100 years, where will our children be able to live?" 

 

Nelsith Sangama, Kichwa leader, Secretary of CEPKA, spokesperson for AIDESEP  

 

“Indigenous peoples have looked after [our] area for 500 years and continue to do so. The state doesn't look after it, they just make money from it.”  

 

Isidro Sangama, Kichwa leader from Wayku, San Martin 

Wampis Pamuk (President) Teófilo Kukush Pati and Pamuk Ayatke (Vice-President) Galois Flores Pizango represented the Wampis’ Autonomous Territorial Government and their pioneering approach to territorial governance and protection in northern Peru. They presented their Climate Strategy and Ambition of the Wampis Government, including their 2030 commitments. They also shared the Wampis’ proposals for a restructuring of international climate finance, which is vital to more adequately recognise and support Indigenous peoples’ efforts to protect and govern their traditional lands. 

 

“COP26 has been a space in which to raise the voice of the Wampis Nation so that the world may know about the work we do to care for our territory, which should be recognised and supported by climate funds.”

 

 Galois Flores Pizango, Pamuk Ayatke, Wampis Autonomous Territorial Government. 

 

“I will go back with good ideas and proposals from the work of our indigenous brothers who have also been pressured by their governments. Our fight is the same.” 

 

Teófilo Kukush Pati, Pamuk, Wampis Autonomous Territorial Government 

Despite Peru’s international obligations and previous commitments made at past COPs, at least 20 million hectares of Indigenous lands remain untitled. Miguel Guimaraes of the Shipibo-Konibo people, and Saul Puerta Peña of the Awajun people used COP26 as an opportunity to highlight the Peruvian state’s continuing failure in this regard. They also discussed the status of Indigenous peoples’ access to climate funds and shared an evaluation of the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples’ Platform on Climate Change in Peru – the first of its kind in the world. They shared their proposals and demands regarding Indigenous economies, Indigenous women’s struggle for their rights and violence and killings against leaders who defend their territories. 

 

“I feel like we have been able to raise awareness of our struggle on an international level. The challenge remains of making those proposals a reality and making sure our rights are respected.” 

 

Saúl Puerta Peña, Awajún people, AIDESEP Climate Change Team 

 

"This pandemic has only accelerated land invasions, deforestation, the expansion of agribusiness & narcotics production. Where are we going to live? How many more killings must we endure?" 

 

Miguel Guimaraies, Shipibo Konibo people, Vice President of AIDESEP, member of FECONAU 

• Watch: Making Indigenous voices count in the fight to stop deforestation (Miguel Guimaraes, COP26 Green Zone) 

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Selected media: 

• Leaders pledge to save trees at COP26, while Indigenous people ask for land rights 

• How to repopulate a forest in Scotland using the teachings of indigenous peoples  

• Climate Change affects women most 

• Angel Pedro Valerio y Miguel Guimaraes, Indigenous leaders ask the Peruvian state to defend them in the face of constant threats 

• The climate summit has me energised and very afraid  

• COP Resistance Report 6 - "We will outlive these empires" 

• World Leaders failed us at COP26. But change doesn’t come from glitzy conferences 

Listen/Watch: 

• Listen: Have we just saved our forests? (Guardian podcast) 

• Watch: The indigenous bloc, including our partners, led the Glasgow March for Climate Justice  

Highlights of other Events @ COP26 – watch the recordings here 

• Fixing finance from the ground up – making Indigenous voices count in the fight to stop deforestation: Watch the event here (originally broadcast 3 Nov 2021, COP26 Green Zone).   

• A new vision of climate finance from indigenous peoples and local communities: Watch the event here (Originally broadcast 1 Nov 2021, COP26 Blue Zone, GEF Pavilion) 

• COP26 Coalition’s Indigenous Movement Assembly: Watch the event here (originally broadcast 09 Nov 2021.  

• Indigenous People Protect 80% of the World's Biodiversity: Interview with Hindou Oumar: Watch the interview here (COP26 TV) 

• Watch: Our Village: COP26 Presentations from Indigenous representatives from around the world 

• Watch: Dùthchas: Community Forests in Scotland 

Relevant reports  

• Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Global Climate Policies and Finance