Burma/Myanmar – Stop the Ridge to Reef project

ICCA Alert – the UNDP GEF incepted the Ridge to Reef Project, a $21 million conservation project that poses to transform 1.4 million hectares of community lands in Tanintharyi Region into Protected Areas, without the proper FPIC of the communities. Read more ▸

Karen Indigenous youth are leading self-determination and revitalizing territories of life in Myanmar: Esther Wah

Esther Wah is the Secretary of the All Burma Indigenous Peoples Alliance (ABIPA) and a Council member (Thematic representative for youth and intergenerational relations) of the ICCA Consortium. In this interview, Ms. Wah talks about how the Indigenous Karen youth are becoming a driving force in securing self-determination and revitalizing the Indigenous governance and management systems in our ancestral territories of life. Read more ▸

The Fight for the Forest: Indigenous Peoples in Burma speak out on threats following the February military coup

Following the military coup in February 2021, Indigenous communities in Burma have faced nearly insurmountable threats to their lives, lands and forests. An escalation in armed conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands and put new pressures on the forests, as generals attempt to consolidate their control. In a 30 October event organised in the lead up to COP26, brave Indigenous leaders from across Burma speak out about the challenges they face and the ways in which the international community can support the struggles of Indigenous Peoples to protect the forests. Read more ▸

Welcoming new Members and Honorary members to the Consortium

The ICCA Consortium Membership Committee is pleased to announce our newest Members and Honorary members! The following organisations and individuals have joined the membership through the review/intake round in early 2023. In light of our ongoing process of organisational reflection, revisioning and strategic planning, the 2023 General Assembly decided to have only one membership intake round this year (instead of two) and to temporarily pause consideration of new Member applications and Honorary member nominations until early next year. Read more ▸

Defending territories, defending lives

Indigenous Peoples in Southeast Asia navigate their place within the legal frameworks of the nation-states. The extent of their self-determination depends on the strength and resilience of their assertions, and the space nation-states provide for such self-determination to be exercised.  Read more ▸

COP15 event explores the crucial role of women in protecting and defending biodiversity

For the first time in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the new global biodiversity framework adopted in December 2022 recognises and commits to protecting environmental human rights defenders. During COP15, a side event co-organised by the International Land Coalition, Natural Justice, and the ICCA Consortium delved into what this means in practice and what women face on a daily basis as they defend their territories of life in diverse contexts. Read more ▸

COP15 event explored the role of relationships, partnerships, and networks in supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities

This joint event, co-organised by the ICCA Consortium, Maliasili, Luc Hoffmann Institute, and IUCN CEESP, reflected on the core values that should guide relationships and partnerships and the power imbalances that often pervade them. Overall, the event highlighted the importance of reconceptualising partnerships from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples and local communities themselves and in the form of networks of solidarity and support. Read more ▸