A proposal to establish a permanent organization for Indigenous peoples to give opinion on United Nations decisions about nature protection was agreed by nations at the U.N. COP16 summit on nature on Friday.
At the United Nations COP16 meeting in Cali, Colombia, which was attended by delegates from almost 200 nations, this decision marked the first significant breakthrough.
According to Indigenous and environmental groups this formation of advisory groups is a first in recognizing the role that Indigenous peoples play in protecting wildlife around the world including some of the planet’s most biodiverse regions.
This is a huge step toward recognizing Indigenous communities’ participation in biodiversity conservation as they have managed the ecosystem sustainably for generations.
The United Nations hopes that by including the Indigenous voices can enrich conservation strategies and assist global goals such as the Paris Agreement. This agreement represents a significant step towards environmental justice and ecological stewardship.
