The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) is pleased to announce the International Workshop on Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs) and Biodiversity Conservation, to be held from 2 to 5 September 2025 in Manaus, Brazil.
This landmark gathering is organized by the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples of Brasil – the country which will host the upcoming United Nations Climate Change COP30-, the Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas (National Indigenous People Foundation or FUNAI), Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (Articulation of Inidgenous Peoples of Brazil or APIB), Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira (Coordination of indigenous organizationd of the brazilian Amazon or COIAB), the Indigenous Women Biodiversity Network (IWBN) and the Red de Mujeres Indígenas sobre Biodiversidad – América Latina y el caribe (RMIB – LAC) with the funding support of the Tenure Facility, the Podong Inidgenous Peoples Initiative and IUCN and Global Affairs Canada.
More than 30 Indigenous experts from the seven socio-cultural regions—Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean, the Arctic, Eastern Europe/Russian Federation/Central Asia and Transcaucasia, North America, and the Pacific – will share knowledge, strategies, and experiences on how Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs) contribute to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, spatial planning, and climate action.
About the ITTs Workshop
The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to effectively engage in the implementation of the new Programme of Work on Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to prepare for the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) (SB8j-1) in October 2025.
Participants will develop recommendations to be presented at SB8j-1 (October 2025, Panama), the IUCN World Conservation Congress (October 2025, Abu Dhabi), and COP30 of the UNFCCC (November 2025, Belém). These recommendations will reflect Indigenous priorities and promote the recognition of ITTs in global biodiversity governance.
Why ITTs matter
For the first time in international biodiversity policy, there is growing recognition that Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs) are areas that conserve and restore biodiversity, without these being designated as Protected Areas (PAs) or Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). This understanding positions ITTs as a distinct pathway in spatial planning—one defined by the governance, stewardship, and cultural identities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities over their ancestral lands and waters.
This represents a shift in the conservation paradigm: historically, biodiversity strategies have focused almost exclusively on state-led protected areas or OECMs recognized in formal policy frameworks. By contrast, the recognition of ITTs affirms that Indigenous governance systems—rooted in traditional knowledge, governance and intergenerational stewardship—can achieve conservation outcomes equal to or greater than those designated PAs or OECMs. ITTs as a distinct pathway places Indigenous-led governance at the center of global biodiversity planning.
“This workshop is a milestone for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. It places us at the heart of defining Indigenous and Traditional Territories as a distinct pathway for conservation—alongside Protected Areas and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs)—ensuring that our governance, knowledge, and stewardship are recognized as essential to global biodiversity planning,” said Lucy Mulenkei, Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).