Indigenous Invocation & Pavilion Opening

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09/10/2025
14:30 - 16:00
Indigenous Peoples' Pavilion , Onsite

Why attend

Join the opening of the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion to hear commitments from leaders and governments, and celebrate Indigenous knowledge, rights, and voices as central to conservation, equity, and sustainable futures.

Session Description

The opening of the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion at the IUCN World Conservation Congress sets the tone for four days of dialogue, celebration, and action. The ceremony begins with an Indigenous invocation and blessing, honoring the spiritual foundations that guide the stewardship of lands, waters, and territories. IUCN leadership, together with leaders of Indigenous Peoples, will offer welcoming remarks to formally open the Pavilion and affirm its role as a space of exchange, visibility, and partnership. Representatives from governments and intergovernmental organisations will also share commitments to strengthening and centring Indigenous leadership in decision-making and ensuring equitable access to resources, reaffirming Indigenous knowledge, rights, and voices as central to shaping a more just and sustainable future.

Keynote speaker

Speaker Grethel AGUILAR ROJAS

Director General, IUCN

Speaker

Speaker Francisco Ramiro BATZIN CHOJOJ

Director, Ruk'u'x Balam

Speaker Lucy MULENKEI

Executive Director IIN and Co chair IIFB, Indigenous Information Network

Speaker Erica MCCREEDY

Chief Operations Officer, North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd

Speaker Anthony GOLDNER

Chief Executive Officer, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Moderator

Speaker Anita TZEC

Senior Program Manager on Indigenous Peoples & Con, IUCN Secretariat

Speaker Verónica RUIZ GARCIA

Senior Programme Manager - Nature, Climate & People, IUCN Secretariat