Indigenous Peoples’ Voices on Biodiversity: Mr. Gordon John – Malaysia

Mr. Gordon John belongs to Dusun Tatana Indigenous Peoples from Sabah, Malaysia, and is currently working with PACOS Trust, a community-based organization dedicated to supporting Indigenous Communities in Malaysia.

According to Mr. Gordon, the Indigenous Peoples in Sabah are protecting, sustainably using, and restoring their territories and resources through their customary knowledge and practices. Indigenous Peoples have been conserving their biodiversity for generations.

He highlights that Indigenous Peoples have developed monitoring systems that can contribute to the implementation of the goals and targets contained in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The outcomes of COP15 are historic in relation to the recognition of the rights and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

As a member of the Asian Indigenous Peoples delegation at COP15, Mr. Gordon actively participated in different side events and made valuable contributions to the working groups of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).