Indigenous Values, Knowledge, and Self-Determination: Foundations for Collective Resilience and Climate Action 
 

Background  

Activity 1, under the workplan of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) for 2022-2024, calls for the organization of annual meetings in conjunction with the sessions of the COP. It calls for, with the participation of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous knowledge holders, to expand and enhance the inclusion of traditional knowledge, knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local knowledge systems in addressing and responding to climate change. These approaches should, align consistently with rights-based international safeguards and Indigenous Peoples’ cultural protocols.  

This activity falls under LCIPP’s knowledge function to “promote the exchange of experience and best practices with a view to applying, strengthening, protecting and preserving traditional knowledge, knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local knowledge systems, as well as technologies, practices and efforts of local communities and Indigenous Peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change, taking into account the free, prior and informed consent of the holders of such knowledge, innovations, and practices”.  

Annual gatherings bring together knowledge holders to share and promote adaptation actions that are based on and guided by the best available science, including traditional knowledge, knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, and local knowledge systems in accordance with Article 7 of the Paris Agreement. 

Objectives 

The annual gathering of knowledge holders will: 

• Foster Intergenerational and Inter-regional Knowledge Exchange: The first part of the meeting will facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge across generations and sociocultural regions. The second part will focus on good practices for ethical and equitable engagement of Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge systems within climate policies and actions. 

• Enhance Diverse Engagement in Climate Action: Strengthen the involvement of Indigenous youth, women, children, persons with disabilities, and local communities in climate policies and actions at all levels. 

• Highlight the Cultural Heritage and Languages of Indigenous Peoples: Foster a shared understanding of the role of culture and language in advancing Indigenous peoples' self-determination and shaping transformational climate policies and actions. 

Thematic Focus  

Cultural heritages and languages are integral to the identities of Indigenous Peoples, shaping and transmitting their values, worldviews, and knowledge systems. These are often grounded in reciprocal relationships with the natural world emphasizing reciprocity, balance, gratitude and care for all living beings.  

The rich and diverse cultures and languages of Indigenous Peoples are also fundamental to exercising their self-determination and decision-making. The United Nations General Assembly (Resolution A/RES/74/135) also proclaimed the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.  

This gathering will also focus on the cultural heritages and language of Indigenous Peoples in the context of self-determination and their role in addressing climate change in a holistic way. 

Approach 

The LCIPP annual gathering will be designed to feature two sessions. This event regards Part II: 

Part II: Dialogue with Parties and other stakeholders 

The second part of the gathering will feature participation by knowledge holders from each of the seven UN Indigenous socio-cultural regions, and representatives from local communities, Parties, international organizations, constituted bodies under the Convention, and scientific bodies. In this segment, the knowledge holders will present knowledge-based observations and recommendations, and proposals for integrating this knowledge into climate action and policies. 
 

Outcome 

The discussions and recommendations from the gathering, including best practices, will be compiled in a report, enriching the deliberations under the UNFCCC processes.