novembro, 12 2024

By Coiab

Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Australia, the Pacific and Eastern Europe are launching at COP 29 a Troika of Indigenous Peoples that will mirror the COP Presidencies’ Troika, to facilitate a focus on Indigenous peoples and their coordination across COP 29, COP 30, and COP 31.

It is an innovative initiative to ensure Indigenous voices are prominent in climate negotiations, ahead of COP30 which will be hosted on the Indigenous lands and territories of the Amazonian peoples, a region with 2.7 million Indigenous peoples, representing over 350 Indigenous nations.

The following COP31 will be announced at COP29, and is anticipated to be held in Australia, in partnership with the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific.The world's oceans are the largest carbon sink, absorbing almost 30% of carbon emissions produced by human society.

The Indigenous Troika emerges to lead this new phase in the global climate debate and will demand greater inclusion of indigenous voices in climate decisions. In this regard, it supports the call for indigenous co-presidency beginning at COP 30 in the Amazon and continuing through the following COPs, to ensure indigenous voices are heard and respected. This movement will create pressure so that in future conferences, we see indigenous climate authorities in co-presidency roles.

Projections indicate a more than 30% increase in fossil fuel production by 2035 by the countries currently comprising the COP Presidencies' Troika: The United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, and Brazil. This goes against the global objective of limiting warming to 1.5°C and directly contradicts the climate leadership these nations should exercise. In this context, indigenous peoples stand firm in maintaining their climate leadership and authority to defend life in our planet.

Indigenous peoples of the world must be engaged in order to meet the Paris Agreement and ensure we meet the '1.5°C Mission', based on Indigenous worldview, agency and self-determination. Around one-third of above-ground carbon is stored in the lands of Indigenous peoples globally.

With the confirmation of COP 30 to be held in the Amazon and COP31 anticipated to be hosted by Australia in partnership with the Pacific, the time has come to center Indigenous leadership in international climate negotiations and for the voice of indigenous peoples to be heard, from the rainforests of the Amazon, Pacific Islands, to the tropics, desert and forest regions of the vast lands now called Australia.

The importance of Indigenous peoples in ensuring climate mitigation and the conservation of natural resources is indisputable. Between 2001 and 2021, areas of the Amazon managed by Indigenous Peoples removed more than 340 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year, the same amount as the United Kingdom’s annual fossil fuel emissions. The Oceans hold 60 times more carbon than the atmosphere and absorb 3 billion tons of emissions.

However, indigenous access to decision-making processes within international forums does not match their crucial role. The need to incorporate Indigenous peoples was reflected in the recent decision to establish a Subsidiary Body that will include Indigenous peoples in future decisions on nature conservation was recently recognized in Cali, Colombia, in CBD COP16 on Biodiversity.

Furthermore, the participation of Indigenous Peoples is essential to advance the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient and people-centered economic models. They must be directly involved in the planning, design, implementation and monitoring of climate policies and actions, which must be based on traditional knowledge, knowledge systems and the contributions of Indigenous peoples to address climate change, nature conservation and loss of biodiversity.

Given this context, organizations representing Indigenous peoples from Brazil, Australia and the Pacific region decided to build a coalition, in collaboration with the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, with the following goals:

• Establish a global alliance representing indigenous peoples and their allies to advocate for ambitious and effective climate action in global forums;
• Expand indigenous influence at the international, national, and local levels, unifying struggles, sharing knowledge and resources, and generating greater visibility and effective outcomes;
• Pressure wealthy nations to meet their responsibilities in climate finance and increase direct funding for initiatives led by indigenous peoples, ensuring that resources reach the most vulnerable;
• End the fossil fuel era with a just energy transition, deepening what was agreed at COP 28, with urgent actions to accelerate the transition without harming indigenous peoples and their territories;
• Work to ensure that countries' climate goals align with the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting life on the planet, in accordance with the goals set in the Paris Agreement, including the demarcation and recognition by states of indigenous lands, as a climate and biodiversity policy.

Promote indigenous peoples’ internationally affirmed rights and obligations to secure ‘free, prior, and informed consent’ and culturally appropriate good faith consultations before any acts that impact Indigenous communities, in accordance with ILO Convention 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Troika will commence at COP29 in Azerbaijan and continue for the following COPs, initially headed by representatives from Brazil (COP30), and the regions of COP31, potentially Australia/Pacific, and Eastern Europe (COP29). Indigenous organizations are unifying efforts so that Indigenous peoples of Amazon, Australia and the Pacific can assert the recognition of their autonomy over their traditionally occupied territories, influencing forums beyond climate conferences.

Launch of the Indigenous Troika

Time: 12 noon
Date: November 13th
WWF Pavilion (Area E G28 Blue Zone)

Participants:

• Alana Manchineri – Coordination of Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations in the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB)
• Rufino Varea – Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN)
• Cathryn Eatock – Indigenous Peoples’ Organization of Australia (IPO)
• moderation: Alopi Latukefu – Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and climate Education (Australia)

Guests:

• Sônia Guajajara (Minister for Indigenous Peoples – Brazil)
• Maina Talia (Minister of Home Affairs, Climate change and the Environment – Tuvalu)
• Sineia do Vale Wapichana (Co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change)
• Daria Egereva (Co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change)