International Day For Biodiversity 2023 - Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact

In commemoration of the International Day for Biodiversity, the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) featured powerful videos that showcased the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women, and Indigenous Youth. This annual event, held to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and the rights of Indigenous Peoples, aimed to underscore the significance of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—a historical achievement in the Environmental Conventions. With the theme “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity,” this year’s celebration served as a reminder of the urgent need to translate international commitments into concrete action at national and local levels.

AIPP’s celebration of the International Day for Biodiversity centered on mobilizing Indigenous Voices, emphasizing the crucial role of recognizing, respecting, and upholding the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples to their lands, territories, and resources. Without putting the rights and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples at the center of biodiversity actions at national and local levels, the biodiversity crisis cannot be effectively addressed.

Representatives of Indigenous Peoples from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam participated in the celebration. These representatives were associated with regional networks such as the Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples of Asia (IKPA), Network of Indigenous Women in Asia (NIWA), Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Defenders (IPHRDs) Network, Asia Indigenous Youth Platform (AIYP), and Indigenous Voices in Asia Network (IVAN).

Spanning from 22 May to 22 June 2023, the event successfully mobilized the voices of 21 Indigenous Men, and 19 Indigenous Women including 10 Indigenous Youth. By celebrating and amplifying these diverse perspectives, AIPP aimed to draw attention to the vital role that Indigenous Peoples play in the conservation of biodiversity, ultimately urging action and genuine partnerships to put human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples in all the biodiversity actions at national and local levels.