Afro-Descendants Push for Recognition in Biodiversity Conservation

Colombia and Brazil propose at the UN COP16 summit in Cali to recognize Afro-descendants' role in biodiversity conservation. These communities protect vast rural areas, requiring inclusion in decision-making. Support gains traction from progressive Latin American administrations, aiming for formal governmental recognition.

Colombia and Brazil are advocating for the United Nations COP16 nature summit in Cali to officially acknowledge the significant role of Afro-descendant communities in conserving vast areas of biodiversity in the region.

While Indigenous peoples' contributions to global nature conservation are recognized, the new proposal emphasizes similar acknowledgment for Afro-descendants, whose traditions and knowledge help in preservation. 'Descendants of slaves and Indigenous peoples are agents of conservation,' Brazil's Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco told Reuters.

The proposal encourages incorporating Afro-descendants' sustainable practices into decisions under the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity. Despite occupying a large area, only a small portion is formally protected, pushing these communities to seek official recognition from governments increasingly receptive under progressive administrations in Colombia and Brazil.

(With inputs from agencies.)