By CS Staff
From November 10 to November 21, 2025, the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP30), is happening in Belém, in Brazil’s lower Amazon region. In addition to the heavy bureaucracy that has slowed down the entire process and delayed the adoption of necessary measures, the COP30 itself has caused widespread outrage among the stewards of these lands—the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon, who see zero results despite the significant number of participants. As in prior years, the negotiations are dominated by large delegations, staffed not only by ministers, their assistants, and negotiators, but also by representatives of businesses and carbon companies directly interested in a certain outcome of the negotiations. A stark fact is that 1 in every 25 participants at the COP30 is associated with the oil and gas sectors.
As promised by the Brazilian government, this COP on climate was supposed to be held under the slogan “Honest COP,” with broad and widespread participation by Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet. According to Earth.org, approximately 2,500 representatives of Indigenous Peoples from Brazil were expected to participate this year—a record number in the history of the UN climate process. However, despite all the government's assurances, only 14% (360 Indigenous Brazilians) received accreditation to visit the “Blue Zone” — a closed space for official negotiations and work on documents — the only place where Indigenous Peoples can effectively promote their rights and interests in future recommendations adopted by the Parties.
Needless to say, many Indigenous representatives are angered and highly disappointed. They came to Belém to defend their rights and interests, but were excluded from the negotiation process. For some Indigenous communities in the Amazon, these negotiations are the last hope for ending mining and logging in their territories.
This resulted in a desperate attempt by Indigenous people from the region to enter the negotiation zone so that their voices and hopes would finally be heard. They were stopped not only by UN security forces but also by military forces that had arrived on the scene. Accordingly, the entire Blue Zone—the negotiation zone—is now heavily guarded by military security. Armed forces with shields, metal fences, and reinforced checks further highlight the division between people whose lives and futures truly depend on the state of the environment and its destruction, and those who prioritize paperwork and procedures over real results in the fight against climate change as quickly as possible.
A second manifestation took place on Friday, November 14, when members of the Munduruku Peoples started a peaceful protest, blocking the main entrance of the Blue Zone for around five hours. They urged a dialogue with President Lula Da Silva, to denounce the development of extractivist projects in their territories without Free, Prior and Informed Consent and demand the revocation of an order that pretends to privatize the Tapajó river. COP30 president, André Corrêa do Lago, had a dialogue with protesters and stated that the manifestation was “legitimate and part of Brazilian democracy”. It remains to be seen whether the dialogue will lead to action or remain mere words.
At the end of the first week, it became clear that financing issues outweigh human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their lands, territories, and resources, including minerals. Yet, this issue is key to the survival of Indigenous Peoples around the world.
The demand of Indigenous Peoples for direct access to funding is still being ignored, despite the official recognition that they play a vital role in the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the world's lands and biodiversity. It is estimated that potential ICCAs cover more than one-fifth (21%) of the world's land area (roughly the size of Africa) and more than one-fifth (22%) of the world's terrestrial biodiversity hotspots.
The Sixth Edition of the State of the World's Indigenous Peoples focuses on climate crisis. According to this UN report from April 2025, Indigenous Peoples protect 80% of the planet's remaining biodiversity and about 40% of protected areas and ecologically intact landscapes, yet receive less than 1% of international funding for climate change measures.
The amount they receive is even smaller, primarily because funding is prioritized not for those who actually protect nature and combat climate change, but for multilateral institutions, agencies, and consultants. Thus, a substantial amount of money is allocated to maintain bureaucracies, salaries, and related expenses. At the same time, Indigenous Peoples, who actually preserve nature and combat climate change, whose traditional knowledge and practices have proven their effectiveness, receive less than 1%. Moreover, many of these Peoples are not officially recognized and are subjected to criminalization, violence, and murder for their activities in protecting and preserving their lands, territories, and natural resources. It is unfair, but it is a fact.
Unfortunately, COP30 has not yet produced the best results, but the overall solidarity of civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, environmentalists, COP30 participants, and concerned residents of Belém is encouraging.
On November 15, the streets of Belem turned into a resistance field, full of music, colors, flags, posters, chants, and union between people from everywhere. The large protest called the “Global March for Climate” took place, bringing brought together around 70,000 people under one slogan: “to take concrete action to combat climate change and adopt specific measures to protect the territories, lands, and waters of Indigenous Peoples.” Participants at the march walked for over four kilometers to draw the attention of world leaders to the problems of climate change, the impacts of fossil fuel extraction, the violation of Indigenous Peoples' and human rights, the destruction of nature, the killing of human rights defenders, the demand for land demarcation, and other related issues, but most importantly, to call for urgent measures and real action to combat climate change and implement mitigation strategies.
Cultural Survival’s delegation and partners are actively involved in advocacy work at all COP30 venues, from the official negotiation area at the Blue Zone, to meetings with protesters and participation in solidarity marches. We support the work of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change; met with ministers, UN officials, negotiators, Indigenous activists, protectors, and Parties; conducted interviews with delegates; and hosted and participated in side events to promote the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples in the ongoing negotiations and uplift their voices and their demands.
