News 07 Aug, 2025

Announcing the IUCN World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature

As a child raised in our Maya Yucatec traditions, I often walked barefoot along winding picado paths to the Mopan River. I remember watching the tireless zompopos, leaf-cutter ants, carving tiny roads into the earth, each carrying a leaf twice its size with purpose and harmony. While we swam in the cool river, my grandfather would point out signs, like howler monkeys coming down from the canopy to drink. “That,” he’d say, “like the zompopos, means the dry season will be long.”

^{With each step, Maasai dancers express reverence for Mother Earth, Tanzania, UCRT, 2025 | Con cada paso, las danzantes masái expresan su reverencia por la Madre Tierra, Tanzania, UCRT, 2025 | À chaque pas, les danseurs masaï expriment leur respect pour la Terre Mère, Tanzanie, UCRT, 2025}

These were more than observations – they were teachings. Ancestral knowledge passed through generations taught us to listen to Mother Earth, to read her language in the birds’ flight, animals’ movements, and the rhythm of water and wind. For millennia, our people have understood nature through living knowledge, not in books, but in the breath of the forest, the silence of stars, and the footsteps of those who walk in balance with nature.

That’s how I came to understand that our Indigenous knowledge is science based on observation and relationship. It is the living language of Mother Earth, spoken through generations who have listened deeply and walked gently.

It is in this spirit that we proudly announce the first-ever World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature, taking place 8 to 10 October 2025, during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. Convened under the theme “Our Knowledge is the Language of Mother Earth,” the Summit is an invitation-only event co-organized by IUCN, the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), and IUCN Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO) Members, with generous support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

This historic gathering will bring together approximately 100 Indigenous leaders from around the world, alongside IUCN representatives, philanthropic allies, private sector actors, multilateral and bilateral donors, and conservation partners. It marks a powerful turning point: a recognition 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, shaping a future grounded in rights, reciprocity, and respect for all living beings.

The three-day Summit will include high-level segments with IUCN President Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, who has consistently championed Indigenous Peoples’ leadership and rights. Her support signals a broader IUCN commitment to a rights-based, inclusive conservation agenda; one where Indigenous Peoples are recognized as central actors leading in achieving global environmental goals and delivering lasting climate solutions.

As President Ms. Al Mubarak affirms:

Bringing the World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature into the heart of the IUCN Congress in Abu Dhabi is more than symbolic; it affirms that Indigenous Peoples are indispensable leaders in global conservation. Their knowledge, values, and guardianship of nature must shape how we meet our 2030 goals and build a future rooted in equity, respect, and ecological balance.

The Summit will also be a space for reflection on the path from Marseille to Abu Dhabi, showcasing the progress made over the last four years in implementing the IUCN Global Indigenous Agenda, advancing Indigenous priorities in the CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Paris Agreement, and the UAE Consensus, and putting the principles of the Marseille Manifesto into action.

The program will feature thematic panels including Indigenous women’s leadership in water governance, the interconnection between climate, nature, and people, and the critical role of Indigenous Traditional Territories in biodiversity and climate solutions. Indigenous leaders, including youth, will share their lived experiences and expertise, while allies reaffirm their support for Indigenous-led actions. The Summit will also include daily spiritual invocations and cultural presentations; a global knowledge exchange: Our Knowledge. Our Cultures. Our Peoples between Indigenous leaders and Abu Dhabi communities, to seek opportunities to strengthen collaboration and global solidarity.

Designed by and for Indigenous Peoples, the Summit places traditional knowledge at the heart of climate and conservation efforts. As a key milestone ahead of COP30 in Belém, the Summit will spotlight Indigenous-led initiatives, including the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative, and deepen engagement with global policy platforms like CBD Article 8(j). It is a critical step toward an inclusive, equitable conservation future.

This is not just another gathering. The World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature is a defining moment; a rare and vital opportunity for the global conservation community, donors, and allies to walk alongside Indigenous Peoples at a historic crossroads. By supporting this Summit, you invest not only in Indigenous leadership and knowledge, but in the most cost-effective solutions that have long safeguarded the planet’s most precious biodiversity.
This Summit is a unique space to amplify Indigenous voices, foster mutual learning, and co-create transformative solutions rooted in rights, respect, and ecological integrity. It is an invitation to join in collective action and shared purpose.

The call of Mother Earth is clear. It is time to listen, to learn, and to act; as one.