The Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) recently selected a delegation of five Amazonian indigenous leaders to join the international debate on climate change mitigation, this month at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Barcelona. The IUCN World Conservation Congress will bring together over 8,000 global leaders in sustainable development and conservation from October 5-14, to determine solutions to the world’s most critical environmental issues.

The Amazon Alliance Coordinating Office has collaborated with COICA, Rights and Resources Group (RRG), the Amazon Institute for Environmental Research (IPAM), The Forest Peoples Programme and Environmental Defense Fund to prepare the delegation for the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Since this summer, Assistant Director, Juanita Cabrera-Lopez has coordinated with these allies to prepare the delegates to speak in a panel discussion on indigenous concerns. The panel will stress the importance of including legitimate elected indigenous leaders in climate change and conservation initiatives affecting the future of their territories. In addition, the Amazonian delegation will participate in breakout sessions and a press conference arranged by the Amazon Alliance Coordinating Office and the Rights and Resources Group. The Amazon Alliance Coordinating Office is grateful for the support of RRG in financing the Amazonian delegation and Coordinating Office’s participation.

Please visit www.amazonalliance.org for regular updates on the delegation’s activities. If your organization is participating in the IUCN World Conservation Congress this month, please contact amazon@amazonalliance.org so that we may learn about your presentations and attend your events. Please let us know if there will be opportunities for indigenous participants to speak at your events.