Press Releases

12/12/2019

COP25 in Madrid

Indigenous peoples' representatives disappointed again (Press Release)

Indigenous peoples are directly affected by the worst effects of climate change. At the same time, the culture of many of these communities is strongly linked to their threatened habitat. Picture: Camp of Indigenous in Brasilia. R. Sonk/STP (April 2019)

Indigenous peoples' representatives who travelled to Madrid from all over the world are disappointed by the 25th World Climate Summit. "Indigenous representatives were largely excluded from the political negotiations in the scope of the summit," stated Brazil-expert Eliane Fernandes Ferreira on behalf of the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) in Madrid. In the framework of the Global Indigenous Peoples' Caucus, which represents the indigenous communities in the UN, they were allowed to discuss and comment – but indigenous people have no influence on the actual decisions, although they can have a massive impact on their communities. 

"Government representatives can’t speak on our behalf or decide for us, as we are the ones who know best what is going on in our territories," emphasized Nara Baré, indigenous representative of the Baré people. "Indigenous communities often live in particularly fragile ecosystems such as the Amazon or the Arctic," Fernandes added. "They have thousands of years of experience in caring for these ecosystems and are very active climate protectors. Ignoring their expertise in the negotiations is a strategic mistake. 

Indigenous peoples are directly affected by the worst effects of climate change. At the same time, the culture of many of these communities is strongly linked to their threatened habitat. "There are strong links between language, tradition, and the environment. If the ancestral environment disappears or changes significantly, the cultures and peoples rooted there will disappear as well," Fernandes fears. "This would be an irretrievable loss to the diversity of our world.

Header image: R.Sonk/STP