Recognition of the knowledge, innovations and practices, institutions and values of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and their inclusion and participation in environmental governance often enhances their quality of life, as well as nature conservation, restoration and sustainable use.

Our discussions and rich exchanges in Girkonjárga-Kirkenes will undoubtedly guide and shape our collective climate change initiatives moving forward. The LCIPP under the UNFCCC offers an inclusive space to share these outcomes. It is a platform to discuss the impacts of climate change on our lives and the Arctic, to identify needs, and to reshape the global approach to nature and climate change.

We must be the good caretaker and not the bad landlords. It’s not just Indigenous Peoples, it’s all human beings. It’s all plant life, it’s all water bodies, our sky relatives. We are all related.