With an urgent call to listen to the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, a delegation of territorial leaders from the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB) will arrive in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to participate in the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, COP27, from November 6 to 18.
The Mesoamerican representation will seek to influence climate change policies to ensure respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities and their inclusion in decision-making. In addition, to position the Mesoamerican Territorial Fund as a technical, operational and institutional tool for direct territorial financing; to demonstrate the territorial and ecosystem weight of Mesoamerican organizations; and to position Mesoamerican women territorial leaders as key actors in climate management.
To achieve this, the AMPB will participate in bilateral meetings with donors and multilateral organizations, as well as in official events (the World Leaders Summit) and parallel events with allied organizations.
Check the schedule of activities of the AMPB at COP27:
Mesoamerican Delegation
The Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests delegation in Sharm El Sheikh is made up of indigenous and local community leaders. These are the people representing us at COP27:
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- Levi Sucre, Coordinator of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests and Co-Chair of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (Bribri, Costa Rica)
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- Sara Omi, President of the Coordinator of AMPB’s Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica (Emberá, Panamá)
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- Gustavo Sánchez Valle, President of the Mexican Network of Peasant Forestry Organizations and member of the Board of Directors of the AMPB (Mexico)
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- Amalia Hernández, President of the Federation of Agroforestry Producers of Honduras (FEPROAH) and member of the Board of Directors of AMPB (Lenca, Honduras)
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- Anibal Sánchez, Sagladummad of the Comarca Gunayala and member of the Board of Directors of AMPB (Guna, Panamá)
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- Nancy Henriquez, founder of the Association of Miskito Women of the Atlantic Coast (AMICA) and member of the Board of Directors of AMPB (Miskita, Nicaragua)
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- Selvyn Pérez, President of the Utz Che’ Community Forestry Network of Guatemala (Maya K’iche’, Guatemala)
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- Nansedalia Ramirez, AMPB Youth Movement Coordinator (Mexico)
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- Yaily Castillo, AMPB’s Youth Movement and Facilitator of AMPB’s Mesoamerican Leadership School (Guna, Panama)
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- Sergio Guzman, Manager of Guatecarbon (Guatemala)
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- Heylin Sánchez, Kábata Könana Women’s Association (Bribri, Costa Rica)
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- Flora Gálata, Indigenous Producer and Artisan (Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama)
Learn more about AMPB’s lines of work and keep up to date with the latest AMPB news at COP27.
Global Advocacy
AMPB will also participate as part of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), a coalition representing 35 million people living in forest territories in 24 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and managing more than 958 million hectares of land.
The GATC advocates for direct territorial funding; protection of leaders from criminalization and assassinations; territorial rights; Free Prior and Informed Consent; and respect for ancestral knowledge.
More than words
The recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have highlighted the seriousness of the climate crisis and the need for immediate and sustained political will, impactful action and effective cooperation. Building on the momentum of COP26 in Glasgow, this COP27 is tasked with scaling up outcomes across the climate action agenda.
Another challenge of this edition of the Conference will be to ensure the implementation of the pledges made at COP26, such as the commitment of the Forest Tenure Funders Group, the group of donors that pledged $1.7 billion to support indigenous peoples and local communities. The group, made up of the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany, along with 17 private funders, and the AGCT have been in discussions since the announcement at COP27 in Glasgow, UK, on the mechanisms that would ensure that these funds reach the territories and operate within the framework of respect for the rights of communities.
Scientific evidence supports that the ancestral knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities is a vital solution to achieving global climate change goals. Therefore, the AMPB will position these territorial proposals and will call for the implementation of the deep roots of their knowledge, because only in this way will a future be possible for humanity.
