The Colombian ministry of environment has announced an agreement with the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon to value their contribution and strengthen their participation in conserving and restoring the rainforest in the lead-up to the COP16 UN biodiversity talks.

The agreement was finalised at the International Meeting of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon, which brought together delegates from nine countries of the Basin – Ecuador, Brazil, Guyana, French Guyana, Suriname, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, and Colombia.

Led by the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), the meeting took place in Bogota, Colombia over, Aug. 14-16, and was attended by members of several Indigenous organisations, including CONFENIAE, COIAB, APA, AIDESEP, OIS, CIDOB, FOAG, and ORPIA.

Under the agreement, the government committed to work together with the Indigenous Peoples during the COP16 negotiations, due to take place in Cali over Oct. 21 – Nov. 1, and other international summits, in a bid to promote the mobilisation of resources towards them.

As well, Colombia will recognise indigenous territories of the Colombian Amazon as conservation areas under their management by 2030, aligning with goals one and three of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

By 2030, the government will also leverage OPIAC’s integrated information system – an instrument designed to bring together the knowledge from different indigenous populations – as one of the tools for defining conservation policies, while promoting regular monitoring activities in the area to implement biodiversity protection.

“We believe that enhancing the knowledge systems, governance, territorial rights, and the advocacy capacity of Indigenous Peoples will result in greater ecological integrity for life,” environmental ministry Susana Muhamad said in a statement.

“We achieved something historical,” added Oswaldo Muca, president of the OPIAC.

“We believe that [this agreement] will not only make Indigenous Peoples visible but also, through the collaboration with the Ministry, recognise their role in protecting the world’s biodiversity.”

The role of Indigenous Peoples in protecting and restoring nature has been increasingly recognised by participants in the emerging biodiversity credits market, amid calls from indigenous leaders and conservationists for high-integrity credits.

Last week, professor Julian Clifton told Carbon Pulse he launched the Fair Credits Standard with the aim of promoting the development of high-integrity and community-focused carbon and biodiversity markets in an attempt to foster Indigenous Peoples’ participation and ensure their rights are guaranteed.

By Giada Ferraglioni – giada@carbon-pulse.com

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