Global Affairs Canada announces $7 Million CAD funding for the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative at COP16

This critical funding will support the first wave of actions for PODONG, a groundbreaking initiative focused on catalysing conservation action led by Indigenous Peoples and creating a path for enhanced direct access to finance.

PODONG, a collaborative effort co-designed, co-created and co-led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), and the IUCN Indigenous Peoples Organisations (IPOs) members, was initially unveiled at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, after Indigenous elders and leaders joined their minds and hearts with IUCN’s Anita Tzec to create an initiative that would guarantee the long term governance and leadership of IPs in achieving the Global Biodiversity Framework. PODONG embodies a transformative approach that places Indigenous Peoples at the heart of efforts to protect and sustainably manage ecosystems critical to climate resilience and biodiversity.

The first set of actions to be funded by this investment will focus on:

1. Scaling-up Indigenous-led conservation actions in Indigenous traditional territories and communities in Guatemala, Panama, Tanzania and Nepal.  
2. Building sustainable livelihoods through ecosystem stewardship; by supporting projects that strengthen Indigenous economies rooted in sustainable, biodiversity-friendly, and Indigenous traditional knowledge and cultural practices.
3. Empowering Indigenous voices in global biodiversity governance. The funding will enhance Indigenous Peoples’ participation in international dialogues and negotiations, ensuring their rights, perspectives and priorities shape biodiversity policies.
4. Form the new cohort of Indigenous leadership; by developing a long-term mentorship program through which Indigenous youth, including young Indigenous women and girls, will work hand-in-hand with seasoned IP leaders and elders, to listen, learn and engage in biodiversity-related policy negotiations at the global level.

This announcement at COP16 reflects the growing global recognition of the unique role Indigenous Peoples play in conservation. PODONG aims to be a catalyst for intergenerational environmental stewardship while putting Indigenous rights, cultural heritage and knowledge systems at the core of the Initiative.