COP17 Celebrates Indigenous Leaders Amid Demand for Greater Inclusion in Biodiversity Decisions By Stella Paul Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

COP17 Celebrates Indigenous Leaders Amid Demand for Greater Inclusion in Biodiversity Decisions By Stella Paul YEREVAN, Armenia, Oct 29 2026 (IPS) - At the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP17, the presence of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) is impossible to miss. Indigenous representatives speak at side events, participate in contact groups, advise negotiators and engage across multiple forums shaping the future of global biodiversity policy. Yet amid this growing visibility, one message resonates throughout the conference halls: implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) will fall short unless Indigenous peoples are meaningfully involved at every stage, from decision-making and policy design to implementation and monitoring. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/cop17-celebrates-indigenous-leaders-amid-demand-for-greater-inclusion-in-biodiversity-decisions/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -