Patricia Gualinga, vice president of CEAMA, highlights the leading role of indigenous peoples
At COP30, which this year is taking place in the heart of the Amazon, the presence of indigenous peoples has been significant and highly visible. This is according to Patricia Gualinga, vice-president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), who emphasizes that this active participation has extended to both the Blue Zone and the People’s Summit, where indigenous delegations are closely following climate decisions and negotiations.
Gualinga emphasizes that indigenous peoples come to this summit with a clear position: not to allow setbacks or stagnation in the face of the climate emergency. Despite pressure from extractivist lobbies, communities insist that COP30 must provide real answers to the situation in the Amazon.
Amidst a context marked by environmental and social crises, the vice president of CEAMA reminds us that “this is the time to act and not just think about business, but about decisions in favor of life.”
What do indigenous peoples expect from COP30?
For Gualinga, the Amazonian venue of the summit requires that indigenous peoples be at the center of decisions. Therefore, they expect the agreements to fully recognize:
- The value of ancestral knowledge.
- The right to free, prior, and informed consent, especially in relation to extractive activities.
- The titling and effective protection of territories.
- The explicit inclusion of their rights in all mechanisms and safeguards that emerge from the negotiations.
“Indigenous peoples cannot be excluded or silenced. Our rights must not be undermined, but strengthened,” says Gualinga.
The great challenge after COP30
Beyond international agreements, the Amazonian leader warns that the main challenge will be their actual implementation in countries. This means that the binding commitments made at the summit must be translated into public policies and concrete actions in the territories.
Energy transitions and just transitions will only be legitimate, Gualinga argues, if they fully respect the rights of indigenous peoples and integrate them as strategic allies in the solution.
Guardians of life and the Amazon
Gualinga recalls that indigenous peoples are on the “front line of defense” of the Amazon. Their deep understanding of the global crisis, together with their presence in the still-preserved territories, constitutes an essential contribution to addressing climate change.
For this reason, he insists that concrete actions to protect the territory must be recognized and supported, including direct financing mechanisms that strengthen the care and continuity of life in these sacred spaces.