AUGUST 29, 2024, BOGOTA, COLOMBIA. – Indigenous Peoples and local communities from the 7 socio-cultural regions of the world united their voices to call parties of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to advance in the recognition of traditional knowledge by supporting:
1) The creation of a permanent subsidiary body on traditional knowledge;
2) The adoption of a new program of work to guide countries’ commitments to respect, preserve and maintain traditional knowledge until 2050; and
3) Recognition of the contribution of traditional knowledge to biodiversity conservation and addressing the impacts of climate change.
The call is a result of the TRɄA World Summit on Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity, held from August 26 to August 29 in Bogota, Colombia. More than 150 representatives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities from Africa, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, the Arctic, Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia and the Pacific, and State representatives from Australia, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Fiji and Colombia participated in the event. Also were participating representatives of organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The summit was co-organized by the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the Mesa Permanente de Concertación con los Pueblos y Organizaciones Indígenas (MPC), the International Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network (IWBN) and the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as partners.
“The world is facing an unprecedented planetary crisis: we are witnessing the loss of biodiversity and the negative impacts of climate change. Most of the planet’s biodiversity is in indigenous lands, waters and territories. We are guardians of biodiversity thanks to the sustainable use and management of nature that we have developed over centuries. In order to face these challenges that put humanity at risk, it is necessary to recognize and strengthen traditional knowledge and the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities within the framework of the CBD. Therefore, we call on countries to support the creation of a high-level institutional space to advise the COP on traditional knowledge, and to adopt an ambitious programe of work to help implementing the commitment made by countries to respect, preserve and maintain traditional knowledge,” said Viviana Figueroa, Global Technical Coordinator of the IIFB.
During the TRɄA World Summit on Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity was emphasized that the permanent subsidiary body on traditional knowledge will contribute to strengthen the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the CBD framework, to improve the positioning of indigenous peoples and local communities in decision-making processes, and to address in-depth issues that are not being dealt within other advisory bodies. Among those issues is the the contribution of indigenous lands and territories to biodiversity conservation.
Regarding the new Program of Work on Article 8(j), a numebr of tasks were considered a priority. Among them, the transmission, recovery and promotion of traditional knowledge – including indigenous languages -, and access to direct financing by indigenous peoples and local communities for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
About the TRɄA
TRɄA means territory for the Emberá. Territory is the harmonious and balanced connection with Mother Nature from which Indigenous Peoples build and weave their cultural identities, knowledge, wisdom and practices. At this summit, all voices unite as one, for the TRɄA, towards COP16.
This Summit is possible thansk to the financial support of the Government of Germany, through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, and the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit); the Government of Sweden and Swedbio (Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University); Nia Tero ; Campaign for Nature; Bloomberg Philanthropies; and Oregon State University. Some of them are participating in the event.
Learn more about the TRɄA World Summit on Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity here.
Access the TRɄA World Summit Executive Report:
English version. Access here.
Spanish version. Access here.
