INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The document serves as a reference tool to track the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and traditional knowledge within the UNFCCC process, highlighting over 60 decisions and the establishment of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform.

• Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their reliance on fragile ecosystems, yet they contribute very little to greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, climate policies can negatively impact them through forced relocations for infrastructure projects or new restrictions on natural ecosystems.
• The UNFCCC process has increasingly integrated Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge, with more than 60 decisions or reports from the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies containing explicit references to these subjects since 2001.
• The Paris Agreement (2015) explicitly mandates that Parties respect, promote, and consider their obligations regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples when taking climate action. It also specifies that adaptation actions should be guided by the best available science and, where appropriate, traditional knowledge and local knowledge systems.
• The Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform was established by decision 1/CP.21 to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices on mitigation and adaptation. Its functions include promoting the protection of traditional knowledge—subject to free, prior and informed consent—and building the capacity of Indigenous Peoples to engage in the UNFCCC process.
• The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), adopted in 2007, provides a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival and dignity of Indigenous Peoples, including rights to self-determination, lands, territories, and the right to free, prior and informed consent before the implementation of measures affecting them.
• Within the UNFCCC's focus on deforestation, the Cancun Agreements (decision 1/CP.16) established safeguards that require respect for the knowledge and rights of Indigenous Peoples and the full and effective participation of these stakeholders in national strategies and action plans.
• The Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation has specifically sought to integrate indigenous and traditional knowledge and practices as cross-cutting issues to improve the understanding and assessment of climate risks.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Indigenous-Peoples-and-Traditional-Knowledge-in-the-Context-of-the-UNFCCC.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Indigenous-Peoples-and-Traditional-Knowledge-in-the-Context-of-the-UNFCCC.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Indigenous-Peoples-and-Traditional-Knowledge-in-the-Context-of-the-UNFCCC.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndindigenous, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Indigenous-Peoples-and-Traditional-Knowledge-in-the-Context-of-the-UNFCCC.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }