Indigenous peoples and local communities at the front lines of climate change will soon be able to exchange lessons learned and share their unique perspectives on reducing emissions, adapting, and building resilience through a new platform created by the Paris Agreement.

The platform will break fresh ground in 2017 by giving indigenous peoples and local communities an active role in shaping climate action, including a prominent role in the first open multi-stakeholder dialogue. Parties and accredited organizations can get involved by writing a submission of your ideas on the local communities and indigenous peoples platform by 31 March 2017.

The international climate policy arena has recognized the unique role that indigenous peoples and local communities play in exchanging knowledge, technologies, practices and efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change. Therefore, the UN Climate Secretariat is facilitating the operationalization of a platform for the exchange of experiences and sharing of best practices on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner.

The newly established platform came into existence through the decision adopting the Paris Agreement in December 2015 at COP21. In the climate conference (COP22) held in Marrakech in November 2016, Parties decided to adopt an incremental and participatory approach to developing the local communities and indigenous peoples platform.

The platform is giving indigenous peoples and local communities an active role in shaping the process. A representative of the group will co-moderate the first open multi-stakeholder dialogue which will take place at the mid-year UN Climate Change Conference in May 2017 in Bonn to discuss ways to effectively operationalize the platform.

How to get involved

Parties and accredited organizations are invited to share their ideas about the purpose, content, and structure of  the local communities and indigenous peoples platform by 31 March 2017 here. Please specify in the submission that it is provided in response to the call for submissions on ‘the local communities and indigenous peoples platform’.

Organizations are welcome to send the submissions to secretariat@unfccc.int. Parties are welcome to upload the submissions in the submission portal (SBSTA 46 & 2017).

Image: beneficiary of the BOMA Project that helps vulnerable indigenous women in Kenya’s arid lands adapt to climate change by starting small businesses in their villages, which enables them to develop a diversified livelihood. The BOMA Project was recognized by the UN Climate Change secretariat as one of the Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activities 2013.