Over 100 Indigenous Leaders Gather in Abu Dhabi for Global Summit
Over 100 Indigenous leaders from around the globe are gathering in Abu Dhabi for the global Indigenous peoples' summit starting October 8. This event builds on the 2021 IUCN Global Indigenous Agenda, calling for recognition of Indigenous rights and leadership in conservation.
The summit offers opportunities for direct engagement with stakeholders and donors, strengthening investments in Indigenous leadership and conservation practices. IUCN director-general Grethel Aguilar highlighted this, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous involvement in environmental negotiations. The first-ever Indigenous peoples' pavilion will be held, showcasing Indigenous knowledge and facilitating dialogues to influence climate negotiations at COP30 in Brazil. In the past four years, IUCN has supported communal land titling for over 117,532 hectares through the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative, scaling up land tenure security. Joan Carling, executive director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International, stressed the need for concrete actions to protect Indigenous environmental defenders and hold accountable agribusiness and extractive industries for aggression and deforestation.
The summit aims to set priorities and commitments for the broader conservation community, ensuring global commitments on biodiversity and climate align with Indigenous stewardship of lands and territories. It seeks to turn the vision of the 2021 IUCN congress' Marseille manifesto into action by recognizing Indigenous rights and leadership in conservation.
