The UN’s biodiversity summit, COP16, made a landmark decision on Friday to create a permanent body to represent Indigenous people and local communities, marking a historic step for environmental justice.
Gathered in Cali, Colombia, 196 countries reached the agreement after prolonged discussions, with Indigenous representatives celebrating this acknowledgement of their vital role in biodiversity conservation.
This new “subsidiary body” will focus on issues relevant to Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, ensuring their insights, traditional knowledge, and practices are represented in future global conservation decisions.
Chilean Indigenous delegate Camila Romero hailed the decision as “an unprecedented moment” for environmental diplomacy. Further details of the body’s structure and role will be discussed in upcoming sessions.