By Maya Lazzaro (Quechua, CS Staff)
By Maya Lazzaro (Quechua, CS Staff)
Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity 19–30 October 2026, Yerevan, Armenia
COP17 AGENDA ITEM: Opening Statement on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) delivered by Andrei Isakov
Seventeenth meeting of the UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Yerevan, Armenia, 19–30 October 2026
Agenda Item 1.
This statement is submitted to UN CBD COP17 on behalf of Cultural Survival, an Indigenous-led organization.
We request that the Parties pay attention to and support the following set of issues regarding Indigenous Peoples.
From October 19 to October 30, 2026, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP17) is happening in Yerevan, Armenia.
By Dave Favreau (CS Staff)
Culture is not a costume, a wellness brand, or an aesthetic for corporations to exploit. Yet every day, deeply rooted Indigenous spiritual and community traditions are routinely stripped of their meaning, mass-produced by non-Indigenous corporations and sold for profit. This act is a form of cultural appropriation, which cuts off Indigenous creators from their own livelihoods and trivializes sacred histories.
From September 24-27, 2026, Cultural Survival was proud to be part of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy. Organized by Slow Food International, Città di Torino, and Regione Piemonte, Terra Madre brought together over 1,500 delegates from 125 countries to "celebrate biodiversity, share stories, and reaffirm the power of food to build bridges across communities, cultures, and borders."
September 13, 2026, marks 19 years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
By KATRIBU
In the Philippines, Indigenous Peoples continue to face land dispossession, militarization, environmental destruction, disinformation, and systemic marginalization. Amid these challenges, media has become an important tool for asserting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ensuring that their stories are told and echoed.
September 5 marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls, honoring the strength, leadership, and resistance of Indigenous women across generations.
The date commemorates Aymara warrior Bartolina Sisa, who, alongside Túpac Katari, helped lead the Aymara-Quechua resistance against Spanish colonial exploitation in 1780.
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For the first time, the United Nations is officially commemorating the International Day of Indigenous Women and Girls, 40 years after Indigenous organizations and movements established September 5 as a day of advocacy and recognition.
By CS Staff
Since 2018, Cultural Survival has awarded 186 fellowships supporting 430 Indigenous youth from around the globe. It all started with one Indigenous youth who expressed interest in receiving financial support but had limited access to resources.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.