Participation at COP 28

The Africa Indigenous Women Organization (AIWO) actively participated in COP 28, contributing to critical discussions and negotiations aimed at addressing climate change. The session commenced with opening remarks from the COP 28 President and the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, emphasizing the collective responsibility to limit global temperature rise to 1.5ºC and ensure that no one is left behind. Key priorities of the conference included the Global Stocktake (GST), Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), mitigation, just transition, loss and damage, climate finance, and climate change solutions. Indigenous peoples, particularly Indigenous women and youth, were prominently represented. Pema Wangmo Lama Mugum, representing the National Indigenous Women’s Federation – NIWF NEPAL, delivered the Opening Statement of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC). Her address highlighted the failure of states to limit temperature rise, as the global cap of 1.5ºC was exceeded in 2023, posing serious threats to Indigenous ways of life worldwide. The statement called for the protection of Indigenous rights, as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and emphasized the need for direct participation of Indigenous peoples, including women and youth, in all UNFCCC processes. It advocated for a strong Article 6 grievance mechanism, the development of loss and damage strategies, just transition policies that respect Indigenous rights, and the creation of finance mechanisms that are directly accessible to Indigenous communities. Additionally, the establishment of the International Indigenous Youth Forum on Climate Change (IIYFCC) was a key milestone at COP 28. Launched by Indigenous youth leaders, the IIYFCC aims to ensure the full and equitable participation of Indigenous youth in climate policy discussions. As future stewards of Indigenous lands, these youth leaders called for meaningful involvement in climate policy, emphasizing that decisions made today will have lasting impacts on their futures. Youths and Indigenous Peoples attendeing COP 28 The AIWO’s engagement at COP 28 underscored the vital role of Indigenous women and youth in global climate solutions, particularly in safeguarding biodiversity and promoting Indigenous knowledge systems