Delegates agreed to create an indigenous peoples’ subsidiary body at the COP16 Biodiversity Summit in Colombia

CALI, Colombia (AP) — Delegates late Friday at a United Nations biodiversity conference agreed to create a subsidiary body that would include indigenous peoples in future conservation negotiations and decisions.

The COP16 summit took place in Cali. Colombiawas a continuation of the historic 2022 agreement in Montreal, which includes 23 measures to save the flora and fauna of the Earth, including protecting 30% of the planet’s territory and 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.

Friday also passed a measure to recognize the importance of the role of people of African descent in protecting nature.

Negotiators struggled to find common ground on some key issues over the past week, but were able to reach a consensus after talks late Friday. The world’s indigenous delegations burst into applause and tears at the historic decision.

“This decision recognizes and protects the traditional knowledge systems of indigenous peoples and local communities for the benefit of global and national biodiversity management,” said Sushil Raj, executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Global Rights and Communities Program.

“This strengthens representation, coordination, inclusive decision-making and creates space for dialogue with parties to the Constitutional Court,” Raj told The Associated Press. “It contributes to supporting the management of biodiversity of indigenous peoples and traditional territories, and contributes to the development of international human rights standards referred to in the Global Biodiversity Framework.”

“This decision recognizes the value of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, Afro-descendents and local communities, and also repays 26 years of historical debt under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),” Susana Muhamad, Colombian representative. Minister of Environment and President of COP16, published on social media platform X shortly after the announcement.