The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) participated today at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan at the side-event “Indigenous Guardians of the Earth: Protecting our Ancestral Lands”, co-organized by the IIN, IIFB, IWBN, AIWO and the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests.
The Side-event was opened with a chant by Saina Yakutia of the Republic of Sakha Yakutia, and where the IIFB further presented the results of the TRUA World Summit on Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity, which was held in Bogotá, Colombia from the 26-29 August, 2024.
Co-chair of the IIFB, Lucy Mulenkei expressed, “the importance of Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity was discussed at the TRUA Summit in Bogota, as well as the advocacy strategy for the work at COP16 where the Subsidiary Body on article 8J was adopted, and which was a great achievement for us all. Discussions on biodiversity are crucial and it is important to continue to find the relation with climate change in order to address this world crises. Looking at the synergies between the two conventions is important”.
“Traditional knowledge gives all Indigenous Peoples their identity and it should be recognized, respected, preserved and documented. It is also important to protect our ancestral lands that is clearly tied to our rights and biodiversity conservation”.
Furthermore, Onel Masardule, Guna indigenous leader of the IIFB explained:
“Indigenous Knowledge has helped in managing the climate change crisis and to address biodiversity loss. Conservation and climate change have raised the question of why traditional knowledge and now, why the TRUA Summit? The Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the TRUA World Summit have shown that traditional knowledge is important for biodiversity conservation and should be embraced”.
He further stated that, “the summit emphasized on the need to strengthen the role of Article 8(j) under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which recognizes the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The other outcomes are around what was proposed for the new program of work focusing on Indigenous knowledge and its synergies with climate action frameworks.”
The presentation of the IIFB highlighted how the recommendations, outcome of the TRUA World Summit on Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity, played an important role in the advocacy work of the IIFB at COP16 and its contributions to the new Programme of Work on Article 8(j) and adoption of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j). It further emphasized on the importance of recognizing the synergies between the Convention of Biodiversity and the Climate Change Convention.
Photo Gallery: IIFB at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
