Dear new Member or Honorary member, it is our pleasure to welcome you into the ICCA Consortium!
This page offers some guidance about the ICCA Consortium, the organisation and the women and men behind it, the three main thematic areas of work, what is happening at the regional level and how to participate actively and stay connected with others in the membership.
The simplest way to learn about the Consortium’s history and purpose is to watch our 20-minute film!
How does the ICCA Consortium make decisions?
Every year, representatives of the membership, Council and Secretariat get together for the General Assembly of the ICCA Consortium. This is the main governing body of the Consortium. We always strive to make decisions by consensus and encourage constructive exchange of ideas and diverse perspectives.
The Council exists to represent and support you! Connect with the Council member in your region and let them know more about your work and how you would like to get involved. Teddy Baguilat is President of the ICCA Consortium, and therefore of the Council since the 2018 General Assembly.
The Council of Elders is available when necessary to offer experience and wisdom.
What organisational documents guide the ICCA Consortium?
Do you want to delve into the details of the governance and operations of the Consortium? Read the governing documents.
Our Strategic Plan provides insight about how we have evolved and where we’re heading as an organisation. Our annual reports contain more details about our work each year since 2011.
Who comprises the membership?
Members are organisations that directly support ICCAs—territories of life. Members can be:
Indigenous peoples and nations and their customary organisations, networks, associations and federations;
Traditional or local communities and their organisations, networks, associations and federations; and
Civil society organisations working with Indigenous peoples and local communities at the local, national, regional and/or international levels on issues related to supporting ICCA—territories of life.
Members have the right to vote on decisions at the General Assembly if it is absolutely impossible to reach a decision through consensus. An organisation can apply to become a Member through an established process that differs depending on whether it is a grassroots Indigenous peoples’ or community-based organisation or a civil society organisation.
Honorary members are individuals with remarkable experience, dedication and capacities concerning ICCAs—territories of life, willing to promote and support them wherever possible within their means. An individual can become an Honorary member through a process of nomination by a current Member or Honorary member of the ICCA Consortium.
As of October 2023, the ICCA Consortium is proud to have 225 Members and 485 Honorary members from more than 80 countries.
Explore the list of the Members and the list of the countries where our Honorary members are based.
Aman Singh is Chair of the Council’s Membership Committee, which oversees all matters concerning membership applications and nominations, review and more.
Now let’s get to work!
The ICCA Consortium is active at four main levels (local, national, regional and international) and across three main thematic areas of work. We also address gender and intergenerational considerations through our gender policy and the “Youth for Territories of Life” group.
Mihanta Tsiorisoa Bakoliarimisa is Chair of the Council’s Policy and Programme Committee, which oversees all programmatic activities in close cooperation with the Secretariat. All Members and Honorary members are encouraged to join at least one of these working groups.
Documenting ICCAs—territories of lifeSustaining ICCAs—territories of lifeDefending ICCAs—territories of lifeYouth for territories of life
Interested in joining? Please be in touch with Emma Courtine, Secretariat support person for the working group.
What’s happening in my region?
Start by contacting your regional coordinator/hub
Visit the Secretariat page to find the biographies and contact details of the relevant Regional Coordinator(s). They can update you on key activities and events in your region and discuss how you can get involved in the ICCA Consortium.
Check what happened at the latest regional assembly in your region
There are several ways of staying in touch. At the global level, we focus on the following methods, but each region has its own additional preferences. Contact your Regional Coordinator/Hub for more information.
Navigate our website
The website is organised in two distinct parts:
The green part on the left is about ICCAs—territories of life themselves. You will find many resources to help you understand the overall phenomenon and movement, as well as literature and videos related to issues at the local, national, regional and international levels. You will also find tips on how to take action to strengthen, support and register your ICCA—territory of life.
The orange part on the right is about the ICCA Consortium itself: its identity, how it functions, the programmatic work, themes, events, publications and how to contact us.
The search function is illustrated by a magnifying glass at the top of the page. You can use this to look for information on a specific country, ecosystem, organisation, news update or otherwise.
Our three main working languages are English, Spanish and French. Although most of our website is in English, we are working hard to make more content available in Spanish and French as well as other national or local languages where appropriate. If you are interested in joining the volunteer translator team, please contact Gaëlle le Gauyer and Daniela Campos Rubio.
Read and contribute to our Newsflash
The Newsflash is released monthly and contains a wealth of exciting information and resources! It is open to any news from our membership that is related to ICCAs—territories of life, including cultural events, workshops, exchanges, publications, resistance activities and policy advocacy. We welcome diverse forms of contributions, including written articles, short videos, photo stories and more.
For more details, including guidelines for contributors, please contact our Comunications Coordinator Mohammad Arju.
Once you are formally a part of our membership, you will be added to the following email lists:
Forum list-serve: It is yours! Feel free to share whatever you think is interesting and relevant to ICCAs—territories of life; advice, opportunities, knowledge sharing, requests for support. It is the place for you to connect freely with the rest of the membership (Members and Honorary members).
Key information list-serve: This list-serve is dedicated to the associative life of the ICCA Consortium. Information will only be circulated here from the Secretariat and Council. You will be updated on forthcoming meetings and General Assemblies, nominations and elections to Council positions, annual reports, key events, membership life and much more.
Your Regional Coordinator/Hub will provide more information about any other region-specific lists that are relevant for you.
