Indigenous leaders at COP31 say it’s past time to turn promises into action

Resumen detallado

As climate disasters mount, Indigenous advocates are pushing governments to follow through on commitments made at previous global climate summits.

The annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change gathering drew historic levels of Indigenous attendance in Belém, Brazil last year, leading some to dub it “the Indigenous COP.” But the event was marked by frustration and protest, with many Indigenous leaders calling it little more than a continuation of a longstanding pattern of exclusion from international negotiations.

This year’s gathering in Antalya, Turkey, is billed as an “implementation” conference focused less on sweeping new pledges than on the procedural work of turning previous agreements into action. For Indigenous advocates, that makes COP31, which started November 9, a test of whether the promises made last year translate into tangible changes, including greater authority over climate action.

“It is still a struggle,” said Edward Porokwa, who is Maasai and a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. “I’m yet to really determine whether there will be any more progress that is made in terms of realization of the rights of Indigenous people.”

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Despite those pledges, funds have been slow to reach affected communities and Indigenous land defenders say their rights and lives remain under constant threat. Porokwa said that he feels that responsibility to address climate change continues to fall on smaller countries and Indigenous peoples.

The stakes have been particularly stark over the last year. In Nepal, massive floods and landslides in August killed more than 1,500 people and destroyed entire villages. In Canada, a historic wildfire season saw millions of acres burned, causing thousands of evacuations. And in Indonesia, wildfire smoke alone has caused thousands of deaths and led to school closures and other emergency measures across Southeast Asia.

“The recent large-scale mountainside collapse on the border of Nepal and Tibet should serve as a…

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