26 October 

Opening ceremony

Traditional blessing 

• Representative of Indigenous Peoples from Colombia, Mr. Leonardo Guasiruma, Mr. Pacha Kanchay, and Mr. Victor Tandioy. 
• Representative of people of African descent from Colombia, Ms. Linda Yotcelin Sánchez Castillo

9:50 – 10:25 

Opening session 

• H.E. Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia.
• H.E. Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia 
• Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Dr Lidia Brito,  Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)  
• Ms. Lucy Mulenkei, co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiveristy (IIFB)  
• Mr. Jhoe Sauca, Mesa Permanente de Concertación con los Pueblos y Organizationes Indígenas (MPC) 
• Mr. José Luís Rengifo, Proceso de Comunidades Negras  

 The opening remarks aim to welcome participants. The key highlight will be on the relationship between nature and culture within the context of the implementation of the Joint Programme of Work on the links between biological and cultural diversity. The importance of ensuring the adoption of the proposed new programme of work on Article 8(j) and other provisions will also be highlighted noting that it will, if adopted, contain key elements that will support the effective implementation of the Joint Programme of Work and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Framework).

10:25 – 10:40

Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

 This panel will explore how the considerations of diverse knowledge systems, including traditional knowledge, into decision-making contribute to the Goals and Targets of the Framework. Key topics will highlight how traditional knowledge plays a role in relation to guidance and safeguards and the use of indigenous languages as a vehicle for transmitting traditional knowledge. The critical role of women and youth in knowledge transmission, and the operationalization of traditional knowledge indicators and the linkages to biocultural diversity will also be highlighted. The panel and discussions that will follow will also focus on how the biocultural relationship is a critical pillar of the Nature Futures Framework, determining pathways towards sustainability.

Co-moderators:  

• Ms. Chrissy Grant, IIFB  
• Mr. Olivier Rukundo, SCBD 

10:40 – 11:05

•  Mr. Ramiro Batzin, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB): Traditional knowledge and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,
• Ms. Myrna Cunningham, Vice-President of FILAC: Empowering indigenous women and youth in the preservation and stewardship of traditional knowledge,
• Ms. Joji Cariño, Senior Policy Advisor, Forest Peoples Programme: Operationalization of traditional knowledge indicators, 
• Dr Laura Pereira, Global Change Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre: Intertwined relationship between culture and biodiversity through biocultural indicators and Nature Futures Framework, 

Discussion with the audience

Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

 This panel will explore the integration of human rights-based approaches as a core element in supporting the conservation of biocultural diversity within the context of the implementation of the Framework. The Panel will showcase the leadership of indigenous women and the empowerment of indigenous youth in these efforts while recognizing the significant contributions of people of African descent towards the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. 

Co-moderators:  

• Ms. Pernilla Malmer, Senior Advisor, SwedBio at Stockholm Resilience Centre  
• Mr. Q”apaj Conde, SCBD 

11:30 – 12:00

• Ms. Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change: Human rights-based approaches and biodiversity conservation
• Mr. John Antón Sánchez, Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales: The vital contribution of people of African descent
• Ms. Kuni Albert, Assembly of First Nations: Upholding human rights: empowering indigenous women in stewardship of traditional knowledge
• Ms. Noelia Campo, Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca - CRIC: Human rights-based approaches to the conservation of biocultural diversity, 
• Ms. Roxana Borda Mamani, Red de Jóvenes Indígenas de América Latina y el Caribe Intergenerational equity: empowering indigenous youth. 

Discussion with the audience

Lunch Break

Update on the implementation of the Joint Programme of Work on links between biological and cultural diversity

• Process for updating and reviewing the four traditional knowledge indicators (SCBD)
• Report on the dialogue process (UNESCO)
• Next steps: Develop a joint strategy to stop the ongoing decline in global diversity of both nature and culture (Element 1 of the Joint Programme) 

Panel 3: The role of indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation 

 This panel will explore the important role that indigenous and traditional territories play in area-based conservation efforts. The discussion will focus on how these territories are often rich in biological and cultural diversity, and how the knowledge, practices, and governance systems contribute to the preservation and sustainable use of these areas. Special attention will be given to Targets 1, 2 and 3 of the Framework.

Co-moderators: 

• (TBC)
• Mr. Jesús Amadeo Martínez (El Salvador), Consejo Indígena de Centro América 

13:45 – 14:10

• Mr. Gakemotho Satau (Botswana) and Camilo Niño, Comisión Nacional de Territorios Indígenas (CNTI): Showcasing of successful practices from indigenous and traditional territories, 
• Ms. Gloria Marina Apén Gonzalez , Guatemala and Ms. Tatiana Lopez Piedrahita - IIAP: Target 3: recognizing the relationship of biological and cultural diversity,  
• Mr. Jazzy Rasolojaona, Natural Justice: Legal and policy frameworks supporting indigenous and traditional territories

Discussion with the audience

Panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity

 This panel will address the issue of securing adequate and accessible funding for indigenous peoples and local communities to support their efforts towards the implementation of the Framework. Given the important roles and contributions of these groups towards supporting the achievement of biodiversity goals and targets, including in Target 19 of the Framework, the discussion will explore various challenges and opportunities in relation to access to funding. The panel will also highlight innovative financing mechanisms, the importance of capacity-building, and the need for technical assistance to ensure that they can effectively manage and utilize funds for their biodiversity-related initiatives.

Co-moderators:  

• Mr. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)
• Ms. Florina Lopez, Red de Mujeres Indigenas sobre Biodiversidad (RMIB)

14:45 – 15:10

• Mr. Ramson Karamushu, My Indigenous Knowledge in Action (MIKIA): Challenges associated with accessing funding and mobilizing resources  
• Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: Innovative funding mechanisms Navigating challenges in accessing funding: Indigenous Peoples perspectives and Solutions, 
• Mr. Joseph Mukomo Itongwa, REPALEAC, PIDP: Target 19: mobilizing resources for local-level biodiversity efforts, managed by on-the-ground actors
• Mr. Harol Ipuchima, Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia: Access to financing for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity

Discussion with the audience

Traditional cultural expression (TBC)

• Reading of the Nature-Culture Declaration 
• Comments from the participants 

Mr. Leonardo Guasiruma, Mr. Pacha Kanchay, and Mr. Victor Tandioy

Representative of Indigenous Peoples from Colombia 

•  Traditional blessing 

Ms. Linda Yotcelin Sánchez Castillo

Representative of people of African descent from Colombia

• Traditional blessing 

H.E. Susana Muhamad

Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia

H.E. Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia  

Born in Chocó, Colombia, he holds a bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering, a master's in Engineering Sciences, and is an expert in public policy. He has held key government positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia since May 2024, and Ambassador to the U.S. from 2022 to 2024. Previously, as Colombia's first Afro-Colombian Minister of Environment (2016-2018), he significantly expanded the nation's protected areas, elevated ethnic communities in environmental policy, and played a pivotal role in ratifying key environmental agreements like the Paris Agreement. He also directed "Todos Somos Pazcífico," securing a $400 million loan for essential projects in water, sanitation, and renewable energy on the Colombian Pacific coast. 

His career includes two terms as Governor of Chocó, where he fought corruption and defended rural communities' rights. He led environmental initiatives at both the Corporation for Sustainable Development of Chocó (Codechocó) and Bogotá's Department of Environmental Protection (DAMA). After surviving a politically motivated abduction in 2000, he sought asylum in the U.S., where he became an advocate for Afro-Colombian rights. His international work spans senior roles at Lutheran World Relief, USAID, and the United Nations. He has also been a professor and research fellow at leading institutions like American University and MIT, and the first Afro-Latino to testify before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. 

• Opening remarks  

Ms. Astrid Schomaker

Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity 

Prior to her appointment as Executive Secretary of the CBD, Astrid was the Director for Green Diplomacy and Multilateralism with the European Commission in Brussels.  Astrid also worked as the Director for Global Sustainable Development at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment. Astrid studied English, history and law in Hamburg and Norwich and has an LLM in international legal cooperation from Brussels' Free University. In 2001, she became Head of Unit for Relations with the Andean Community in the Directorate-General for External Relations. Astrid moved to the Environment Department in 2004 and led work on a variety of issues within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, ranging from bilateral and multilateral relations to chemicals, oceans, and the water industry, including as Director of Strategy; Head of Unit for Global Sustainability, Trade and Multilateral Agreements; Head of Unit for Marine Environment and Water Industry; and Head of Unit for Chemicals and Nanomaterials, among other roles.  

• Opening remarks  

Ms. Lidia Brito  

Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO 

Lidia Brito is the current Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, where she leads global initiatives promoting scientific collaboration, environmental sustainability, open science and the integration of science in policy. Ensuring the implementation of the UNESCO’s Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples is part of her mandate. With a background in forestry and a PhD in Forest Sciences from Colorado State University, Brito has a notable history of contributing to science policy and sustainable development. She has held numerous influential roles, including Minister for Higher Education, Science, and Technology in Mozambique, and director of both the UNESCO Regional Office for Science in Latin America and the Caribbean and the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa. A strong advocate for youth engagement and the use of science for social inclusion, she has been instrumental in advancing knowledge and policies to address global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. 

• Opening remarks   

Dr. Grethel Aguilar

Director General of IUCN

Dr Grethel Aguilar, born in Costa Rica, assumed office as Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in October 2023. Dr Aguilar brings with her thirty years of experience in conservation and sustainable development, having worked extensively on developing and applying environmental law and policy in collaboration with governments and civil society. In particular, she is deeply passionate about the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities and has pushed for the inclusion of their knowledge and experience in mainstream conservation policy. Through her work in field projects, Dr Aguilar has helped communities access clean water, advocated environmental justice, assisted Indigenous peoples in obtaining rights to their natural resources, and championed gender equality in environmental governance. Before assuming office as Director General, Dr Aguilar served as IUCN’s Acting Director General in 2019-20, and again in 2023. She also held the position of Deputy Director General – Regions and Outposted Offices, starting in 2021. She previously served as Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, a role she took on in 2005. As Regional Director, Dr Aguilar oversaw the development and effective implementation of the IUCN Programme throughout the region and managed a wide range of issues, from ecosystem-based resource management strategies and policies to organisational management and financial planning. In 2017 she also began providing support to the IUCN South America Regional Office. 

•  Opening remarks

Ms. Lucy Mulenkei

Co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)

Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network. She is a graduate of Gender and Development Studies from the University of Nairobi. Ms Mulenkei is a Member and Co-founder of a number of Indigenous Peoples Networks, among them the African Indigenous Women’s Organization, the International Indigenous Women’s forum, and the Indigenous Women Biodiversity Network. She is the African regional coordinator and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity , and has been working with other Indigenous Peoples with the Global Environment Facility as a Member of the Advisory group, Member and Co-Chair of UNEP Advisory group Ecosystem Restoration . She is a member of the High-Level Commission (“HLC”) on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 Follow-up.

• Opening remarks

• Mr. Jhoe Sauca, Mesa Permanente de Concertación con los Pueblos y Organizationes Indígenas (MPC) 

• Opening remarks  

José Luis Rengifo 

José Luis Rengifo - etno biologo miembro del proceso de comunidades negras responsable del equipo de territorio y medio ambiente y consultivo de alto nivel para comunidades negras en Colombia

• Opening remarks 

Ms. Chrissy Grant

Chrissy Grant is an Aboriginal (Kuku Yalanji from the Jalun-Warra clan) and Torres Strait Islander (Mualgal from Kubin on Moa Island) Elder.

For more than 35 years she has worked with communities on cultural and natural resource management and with Traditional Owner groups to identify their cultural values, heritage management, conservation, and protection. As the Director of Indigenous Heritage with the Australian Government she oversaw the implementation of the National Heritage List, with Budj Bim being the very first place listed (as Lake Condah).

Chrissy is a founding member, and currently chairs, the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH) providing a voice for Indigenous peoples about their concerns on nominations and reports at World Heritage Committee meetings. She has extensive networks both nationally and internationally with her work with the Convention of Biological Diversity, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

• Co-moderator in Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Mr. Olivier Rukundo

Head of the Peoples and Biodiversity Unit at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 

• Co-moderator in Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Mr. Ramiro Batzin

Co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)

Mr. Ramiro Batzin is Maya Kaqchikel and has a Master in Local Environmental Management, with a Bachelor of Communication Sciences, Professional Journalist, Diploma in Indigenous Law; Evaluation of Environmental Projects, Strategies and Conservation Techniques. He is Coordinator of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, Focal Point on article 8j of Guatemala, Member of the National Council of Climate Change in Guatemala, and Director of Sotz'il.

• Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Ms. Myrna Cunningham

Vice-President of FILAC

Myrna Cunningham es una médica cirujana del pueblo indígena Miskitu de Nicaragua. Su trayectoria profesional ha estado vinculada a la lucha por la defensa de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y, en especial, de las mujeres indígenas de Nicaragua, América y el mundo.

En la década de los 80 participó en el proceso de paz y el establecimiento del régimen de autonomía para los pueblos indígenas, afro descendientes y comunidades étnicas de la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua. En la década de los 90 impulsó la fundación de la Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragua (URACCAN) y fue su rectora fundadora entre 1994 y 2002. Entre 2011 y 2013 fue miembro del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas en la ONU llegando a ocupar la presidencia. También fue secretaria general del Instituto Indigenista Interamericano e impulsó la fundación de la Cátedra Indígena Intercultural de la Universidad Indígena Intercultural, entre otras actividades.

Entre 2017 y 2021 Cunningham fue presidenta y desde la XV Asamblea General Ordinaria es la 1ra. vicepresidenta del del Consejo Directivo del FILAC.

• Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Ms.  Joji Cariño

Senior Policy Adviser of Forest Peoples Programme (FPP)

Joji Cariño, Ibaloi -Igorot from the Cordillera, Philippines is a leading advocate for indigenous peoples rights and indigenous knowledge, including interlinkages of nature and cultures. She is the co-lead author of the 2nd Edition of Local Biodiversity Outlooks.

• Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Dr. Laura Pereira 

Professor in Sustainability Transformations and Futures at the Global Change Institute and a researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. 

She is an interdisciplinary sustainability scientist, having been trained in ecology, law, zoology and human geography. Since graduating from Wits in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) in Ecology, she undertook an MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy at St Hilda’s College, Oxford University, before going on to complete her DPhil in Geography and the Environment in 2012. She has since worked internationally at various institutions, including the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, City University of London, and Utrecht University. Laura is an Earth Commissioner co-leading the Transformation Pathways workstream, and is an expert on the IPBES Task Force on scenarios and models. Laura is interested in the interface between indigenous and local knowledges and innovation in the context of social-ecological tipping points, the role of futures techniques and visioning in enabling transformative change and developing innovative methods for knowledge co-production in Global South contexts 

• Panel 1: Multiple and diverse knowledge systems in decision-making related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity  

Ms. Pernilla Malmer

Senior Advisor, SwedBio at Stockholm Resilience Centre

SwedBio is a programme for biodiversity and equitable development in harmony with nature at Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, and Malmers´work deals with policy for biodiversity protection, human rights and gender equality, as well as methods and dialogues for bridging across Indigenous, local and scientific  knowledge systems, based on equity and usefulness for all involved.  

Malmer is an agronomist by training. In her early career she was working at County level with supporting traditional communities in the Västerbotten County in northern Sweden, as well as with Indigenous Peoples and traditional smallholder farmers and their organizations in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.  

She is also a passionate gardener, seed-saver, mushroom-picker and birdwatcher. In her community, she is closely engaged in the local associations for protecting and nurturing the community's heritage of biocultural diversity. 

• Co-moderator in Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity.

Mr. Q''apaj Conde

Associate Programme Management Officer in the Peoples and Biodiversity Unit at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 

• Co-moderator in Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

Ms. Elisa Morgera 

Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change 

Elisa Morgera is a Professor of Global Environmental Law at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (UK) and Adjunct Professor in International and European Union Environmental Law at the University of Eastern Finland. Previously, she worked with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Italy and the United Nations Development Programme in Barbados; and continued to collaborate with the United Nations and other international organizations as consultant and independent expert. She advised governments and civil society in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. 

Ms. Morgera has published extensively on human rights and the environment, the human right to science, as well as the human rights of small-scale fishers, Indigenous Peoples, and children, at the climate-biodiversity and climate-ocean nexus. She has also published on business responsibility to respect human rights, as well as on the international principle and standards of equity among and within States, based on international environmental and human rights law. From 2019 to 2024, Ms Morgera directed the One Ocean Hub, a Global North/South research collaboration on human rights and the ocean, which connected natural and social scientists, legal experts, artists, human rights holders and defenders, to support fair, inclusive and transformative decision-making. Ms. Morgera holds a Law degree from the University of Trieste, Italy; a Master of Laws in Environmental Law from University College London; a Master of Research and a PhD in International Law from the European University Institute, Italy. 

• Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

Mr. John Antón Sánchez

John Antón Sánchez, Doctor en Ciencias Sociales, profesor titular del Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales IAEN (Ecuador), miembro del Observatorio para la Justicia Afrodescendiente en Latinoamérica (OJALA- FIU) y del Instituto para la Investigación y Desarrollo Afrodescendiente (Costa Rica)

• Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

Ms. Kuni Albert 

Assembly of First Nations

Kuni Albert is Denesuline and a member of the Fond du lac Denesuline First Nation, located within ancestral Dene Territory and now known as Treaty 8 Territory in Saskatchewan, Canada. Kuni is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Environment Sector of the Assembly of First Nations and has 25 years of experience in the environmental field. She has worked extensively in environmental conservation, biodiversity and monitoring projects, public consultation and provides expertise for Indigenous Peoples in relation to independent on-reserve and traditional territories conservation and biodiversity projects. Kuni is an environmental scientist, researcher, writer, instructor, and designer of environmental curriculum for Indigenous-led environmental monitoring programs at post-secondary institutions in Alberta, Canada. 

It is Kuni’s personal and professional beliefs that as a scientist it is the primary responsibility to design solutions in the present that respect the past and adequately service the future. It is this philosophy that serves as the foundation to Kuni’s continued effort in advocating for the environment while sharing Indigenous science and collaborating with Indigenous Peoples to develop comprehensive conservation and sustainability management plans. Through this work, Indigenous People can face the challenges of a changing environment all while continuing to live their cultural and spiritual lifestyle.

Nanomaterials, among other roles. 

• Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

Ms. Noelia Campo

Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca - CRIC

Ex consejera del CRIC y ex gobernadora del territorio Çxayu'çe, actual delegada política  ante Mesa Permanente de concertación MPC y representante del CRIC a nivel nacional para la defensa  de los derechos humanos, cuidadora y defensora de la madre tierra. 

• Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

Roxana Borda Mamani

Quechua, Perú 

Red de Jóvenes Indígenas de América Latina y el Caribe

Miembro activa de la Red de Jóvenes Indígenas. Roxana empodera a la mujer andino-amazónica, luchando por los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas y el desarrollo sostenible en Megantoni, Cusco. Licenciada en Desarrollo Rural y Seguridad Alimentaria, defiende los derechos humanos, la agrobiodiversidad y la transición energética de los jóvenes y las mujeres indígenas. Líder local, representa a Megantoni en la Comisión Ambiental Municipal y se desempeña como vicepresidenta de Asociación de Jóvenes Indígenas y Amazónicos (AJICAM). A nivel nacional, lidera el capítulo peruano del Foro Mundial de la Alimentación, abogando por un futuro mejor a través de la Red de Jóvenes por la Agrobiodiversidad - Cusco.

Actualmente lidera el proyecto sobre transición energética denominado "AYLLUQ QANCHAYNYN", el proyecto es coliderado por un equipo multidisciplinario de 8 jovenes de UNILA. A nivel distrital es titular ante la Comisión Ambiental Municipal (CAM), desde este espacio se viene aportando desde la vision de las juventudes indigenas para la gestion, governanza y articulación con las diversas instancias en materia ambiental, y poder contribuir a la Reserva de la Biosfera AVIRERI-VRAEM, reconocida por la UNESCO.

• Panel 2: Human Rights-based approaches to conserving biocultural diversity

Odacy Davis (Guyana)

Odacy celebrates 20+ years of exciting work in the field of conservation. Her early years of work exposed her to protected areas management, indigenous peoples and natural resource management. Later on in 2015-2016, she completed the MPhil In Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge, Uk, which contributed significantly to her development, capacity and leadership in this field. After returning to Guyana, she was employed as the Deputy Commissioner and Technical Director of the Protected Areas Commission which managed the National Protected Areas System. Odacy has served as a member of the Government of Guyana’s negotiating teams to the UN Biodiversity and UN Law of the Sea Conventions (BBNJ). In May 2024 Odacy transitioned to another dimension of her career to function as a consultant and is currently developing a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for the Government of Montserrat and working along with local conservation organizations to determine OECM readiness. More importantly Odacy has a passion for mentoring, sharing knowledge and providing strong support to students and young professionals who have an interest in Science, Conservation and Environmental Management.

• Co-moderator in Panel 3: The role of Indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation

Mr. Jesús Amadeo Martínez (El Salvador)

Consejo Indígena de Centro América

Jesús Amadeo Martínez, Nacionalidad Salvadoreña, Pueblos Indígena Lenca, Licenciado en Ciencias Jurídicas, Coordinador del Foro Indígena de Abya Yala, Consejero Mayor del Consejo Indígena de Centro América CICA, Directivo del Fondo Indígena Latinoamericano. Experto en Derecho de Pueblos Indígenas.

• Co-moderator in Panel 3: The role of Indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation

Mr. Gakemotho Satau 

Mr. Wallican Gakemotho Satau is a Bukakhwe San man from Shakawe, Ngamiland District in Botswana. He has worked for two decades in community development and the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the Okavango Delta. He was formerly the coordinator of the Trust for Okavango Development Initiative (TOkaDI) and undertook extensive work on Indigenous cartography and resource mapping with the Letloa Trust. He has served as the Southern African regional representative to the Executive Committee of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee. He has played an important role in resource mapping and community mobilisation in relation to the inscription of the Okavango Delta as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

•  Panel 3: The role of indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation  

Mr. Camilo Niño

Comisión Nacional de Territorios Indígenas (CNTI)  

Camilo Niño es un líder indígena Arhuaco de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, con formación en Ecología y una maestría en Desarrollo Rural. Desde 2014 es Secretario Técnico Indígena de la Comisión Nacional de Territorios Indígenas (CNTI), donde ha liderado la defensa de los derechos territoriales y la justicia ambiental de los 115 pueblos indígenas del país. Su trabajo se centra en la protección de los territorios como eje clave para el cuidado de la vida, la biodiversidad y la lucha contra el cambio climático. También coordina el Observatorio de Derechos Territoriales de los Pueblos Indígenas desde donde se incide en la elaboración e implementación de políticas destinadas a salvaguardar los derechos territoriales de los pueblos indígenas

• Panel 3: The role of indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation  

Ms. Gloria Marina Apén Gonzalez 

Directora Unidad de Pueblos Indígenas y Comunidades Locales, Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas -CONAP-, Guatemala. 

Gloria Marina Apén Gonzalez es Maya Kaqchikel, Abogada y Notaria, con Maestría en Derecho Constitucional y estudios de Maestría en Derecho de Propiedad Intelectual. Posee 20 años de experiencia en el trabajo con organizaciones indígenas, sociedad civil, ambientalistas así como en el sector gubernamental en los temas de Defensa de derechos colectivos de Pueblos Indígenas relativos al ambiente, áreas protegidas, diversidad biológica, conocimiento tradicional, transformación de conflictos, legislación nacional, convenios y tratados internacionales  Desde el año 2014 ha sido designada por el gobierno de Guatemala como punto focal sobre el Art.8j y Disposiciones conexas. 

• Panel 3: The role of indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation  

Ms. Tatiana López Piedrahita - IIAP

• Panel 3: The role of indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation

Mr. Jazzy Rasolojaona 

Natural Justice

Jazzy Rasolojaona is a Programme Manager at Natural Justice, specializes on the interface between human rights and environmental law. He has worked on community conserved areas legal review in several African countries, and supports local and national processes to strengthen and secure communities ‘rights over land, biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge.

• Panel 3: The role of indigenous and traditional territories in area-based conservation

Mr. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa

Leader of the Environment Programme at the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact and Co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)

Mr. Lakpa Nuri Sherpa is a member of the Sherpa Indigenous community from Nepal. He currently leads the Environment Programme at the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and serves as the co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).

From 2011 to 2023, Lakpa played a significant role in advancing the global climate movement of Indigenous Peoples as the global focal point for the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC).

He remains pivotal in strengthening the capacity and advocacy efforts of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women, and Indigenous Youth focusing on climate change, biodiversity, and Indigenous Peoples' rights at local, national, regional, and global levels.

• Co-moderator in panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity 

Ms. Florina Lopez Miro

Coordinadora de la Red de Mujeres Indígenas sobre Biodiversidad de América Latina y fundadora de la Red Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas sobre Biodiversidad

Del pueblo Guna de Panamá. 

Desde hace muchos años viene participando en las negociaciones con los estados sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, específicamente de las mujeres indígenas en los procesos del Convenio de la Diversidad Biológica y en especial para el reconocimientos de los conocimientos tradicionales de los pueblos indígenas y el Consentimiento Libre Previo e Informado, entre otros temas  a través de la Red de Mujeres Indígenas sobre Biodiversidad de América Latina y el Caribe donde ha implementado en la región de América latina proyectos de desarrollo de capacidades con el apoyo de organismos internacionales. 

• Co-moderators in panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity 

Mr. Ramson Karmushu

Founder, My Indigenous Knowledge in Action (MIKIA)

Ramson has been keenly interested in documenting indigenous traditional knowledge that has supported coexistence with nature and biodiversity conservation for years. Ramson Karmushu is the founder of an organization known as MIKIA. MIKIA is an Indigenous Maasai word meaning 'don't take me away.' The name is the Indigenous peoples' knowledge, talking to the Indigenous peoples' elders to leave it (inherited knowledge) behind to future generations. Indigenous peoples' knowledge is written in peoples' brains, Indigenous peoples' libraries, where MIKIA envisages putting efforts to document, preserve, and regenerate it. Ramson is a member of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), a co-lead of the Resource Mobilization Committee, and one of the IIFB's

key negotiators in the Convention on Biological Diversity discussions. The Secretariat of the CBD has recently nominated Ramson as a member of the Advisory Committee on Resource Mobilization (ACRM)for the recently adopted Kunming Montreal-Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF)

• Panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity

Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

Chair, UN  Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an Indigenous Mbororo woman from Chad. She is an expert in Indigenous Peoples’ traditional ecological knowledge and climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. She served as Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change in COP20, COP21, COP22, COP23, which pushed for greater recognition of the role of Indigenous Peoples in the fight against climate change. Hailing from a Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Ms. Ibrahim founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and works to empower Indigenous Peoples’ voices and ensure their inclusion on international platforms.

 She leads a number of projects that aim to improve Indigenous Peoples’ access to basic services, while also promoting their unique contribution to the protection of the environment at the local and national level. For example, Ms. Ibrahim conducts three-dimensional participatory mapping, which helps to prevent resource-based conflicts in one of the poorest and most vulnerable regions of the world,  and has also worked on implementing local solutions to improve women’s resilience to climate change. Ms. Ibrahim gained recognition for her work and in 2019, she became the Laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award.

• Panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity 

Mr. Joseph Mukomo Itongwa

Executive Director of ANAPAC RDC and Regional Coordinator of REPALEAC 

Joseph Itongwa is a leader and activist of the Bambuti indigenous community in Walikale territory, North Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

He is also Executive Director of the Alliance Nationale d'Appui et de Promotion des Aires et Territoires du Patrimoine Autochtone et Communautaire en RDCongo (ANAPAC RDC) and Regional Coordinator of REPALEAC (Réseau es Populations Autochtones et Locales pour la gestion durable des Ecosystèmes forestiers d'Afrique centrale). Since this year, he has been Co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Territorial Communities (GATC). He is deeply committed to promoting culture, defending the rights of indigenous peoples and conserving nature.  His work links local, national, sub-regional and international levels. 

• Panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity 

Mr. Harol Ipuchima

 Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia

Dirigente indigena del pueblo Maguta de Clan Grulla. Fue Secretario General de OPIAC, Coordinador de Cambio Climático y Biodiversidad de COICA, Vicepresidente de la Junta Directiva de la Alianza del Clima, Copresidente del IIPFCC, actualmente Punto Focal de los Pueblos Indígenas de Colombia a la COP16. 

• Panel 4: Access to funding for indigenous peoples and local communities for conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity