The World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature: Our Traditional Knowledge is the Language of Mother Earth is being jointly convened by IUCN, the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), and IUCN Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation (IPO) Members, through the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative. This Summit is made possible thanks to the generous support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
As part of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, this will be the first ever in-person global Indigenous Peoples’ Summit of its kind. From 8 to 10 October, more than 100 Indigenous leaders from across the world will gather in Abu Dhabi, alongside IUCN, philanthropic allies, private sector actors, multilateral and bilateral donors, and the wider conservation community.
NEFIN Nepal
Ak'Tenamit Guatemala
UCRT Tanzania
About the Summit
This high-level IP Summit marks a powerful turning point—an affirmation that Indigenous Peoples are not peripheral stakeholders, but rightful stewards of life on Earth. As knowledge keepers, guardians of ancestral territories, and visionaries of sustainability, Indigenous leaders will stand at the heart of this Summit to shape a future rooted in rights, reciprocity, and respect for all living beings.
Through strategic dialogue and renewed alliances, the Summit will open sacred space for Indigenous voices to lead the transformation of a global conservation agenda and set bold, collective priorities for IUCN and its networks. It also represents a catalytic opportunity for donors to invest in impactful, Indigenous-led solutions—anchored in traditional knowledge systems and the language of Mother Earth, and delivering lasting benefits for people and planet alike.
The event will also feature the first ever Indigenous Peoples Pavilion, a vibrant, self-curated space that will serve as the “Home of Indigenous Peoples” during the IUCN Congress. More than an exhibition, this living space will embody the spirit of Indigenous territories, offering an immersive experience rooted in ancestral wisdom, resilience, and innovation. It will spotlight what truly works on the ground- traditional knowledge systems, indigenous conservation practices, community-led innovations, stories from Indigenous territories, and intergenerational leadership.
Building on the legacy of Marseille and carried forward to Abu Dhabi, the Indigenous Summit marks a new chapter in recognising the rights, leadership, agency, governance, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples in achieving the goals of the IUCN Global Indigenous Agenda, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Featured Speakers
WHAIA - Sonic Weaver
International Keynote Speaker
Razan Al Mubarak
President, IUCN
Grethel Aguilar Rojas
Director General, IUCN
Lucy Mulenkei
Co-Chair, Co-chair, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) & Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network (IIN)
Ramiro Batzin
Co-chair of IIFB & Vice President and advisor to the IUCN
Paine Mako
Executive Director, Ujamaa Community Resource Team (UCRT)
Onel Masardule
Executive Director, Foundation for the Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge (FPCI)
Viviana Figueroa
Global Technical Coordinator, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)
Tunga Bhadra Rai
Director, Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN)
Organising Partners
Sponsors
Get Involved
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