Indigenous peoples of Pará reinforce their role in climate strategies
Meeting on REDD+ discussed the construction of a consultation plan for the indigenous segment
The climate agenda of Pará has been marked by the leadership of indigenous peoples in strategic debate spaces. The Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of Pará, Puyr Tembé, participated in the REDD+ Meeting, which discussed a fair, participatory, and effective jurisdictional strategy for the construction of the Consultation Plan in the indigenous segment. The event was organized by the Instituto Centro de Vida, Federation of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Mato Grosso (Fepoimt), Center for Alternative Technology, and Pact of Waters. Leaders from traditional communities in Pará and Mato Grosso were present.
REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) is an international mechanism aimed at valuing living forests by creating economic incentives for conservation. In Pará, the system was established under the State Policy on Climate Change and has been under construction since 2022, with the active participation of Indigenous Peoples, Quilombolas, Extractivists, and Traditional Communities. The goal is to transform preservation into a possibility for sustainable development for these communities. To ensure legitimacy, the Government of Pará is conducting a process that respects the voices and rights of those who have protected these territories for centuries, through the largest process of Free, Prior, and Informed Consultations in the history of the State.
Consultations with indigenous segments will begin after the completion of the Consultation Plan, which is currently being developed. This process is essential to ensure that the consultation itself is defined by the indigenous peoples, respecting their social, cultural, and territorial organization.
The Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation follows exactly the definitions of customs and traditions of each people, ensuring that they are heard according to their own forms of organization and collective decision-making. In this way, the State ensures compliance with the legal obligation and the democratic right of these communities to effectively participate in decisions that affect them, strengthening a truly participatory and democratic process.
"There will be no future for the climate, nor for Brazil, if indigenous peoples are not at the center of decision-making. Sepi has an ethical commitment to the leadership of indigenous peoples. We are preparing translators, communicators, and mobilizers so that information circulates in all indigenous languages of Pará. Our goal is to ensure that each community has the right to decide, freely, prior, and informed, about the measures that impact their territories," emphasized Secretary Puyr Tembé.
Since 2023, the Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of Pará (Sepi) has been strategically involved in the governance of the state climate policy. In partnership with the Federation of Indigenous Peoples of Pará (Fepipa) and the Secretary of Environment and Sustainability (Semas), the department is part of the Working Group responsible for organizing the indigenous consultation process.
Alliance - The REDD+ Meeting also highlighted the importance of exchanging experiences between Pará and Mato Grosso, states that share the challenges of the Amazon and the need to develop participatory strategies that combine climate justice, biodiversity protection, and the valorization of traditional ways of life.
