Africa: COP17 Celebrates Indigenous Leaders Amid Demand for Greater Inclusion in Biodiversity Decisions

What the report says

At the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities were highly visible in discussions and side events, but many delegates said their main concern remained whether they will have real influence over biodiversity policy. According to the report from Inter Press Service, Indigenous leaders argued that the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will not be fully effective unless Indigenous peoples are involved not only in consultation, but also in decision-making, implementation and monitoring. The article notes that these communities often manage lands directly affected by conservation rules, making their role central to policy outcomes.

COP17 also marked a recognition moment. Six Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Thailand, The Gambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were named Indigenous Peoples Ambassadors for Primary Forests under the first Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Award, a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Global Environment Facility and the UN Forum on Forests. Organizers said the award was intended to spotlight leaders protecting primary forests and strengthening community rights and resilience.

Among those honored were Maimuna Jawara of The Gambia, Herkulanus Sutomo Manna of Indonesia, Puyr dos Santos Tembé of Brazil, Pirawan Wongnithisathaporn, Joseph Itongwa Miukumo and Julio Cusurichi Palacios. The article says their work ranges from agroecology and seed saving to forest defense, mapping ancestral lands and advocating for Indigenous participation in environmental governance. The broader significance, the report suggests, is that conservation efforts are increasingly being linked to land rights, traditional knowledge and justice.