“The Indigenous demonstrations at COP30 are not security breaches. Indigenous Peoples are exercising their fundamental human rights, and expressing frustration due to a lack of access to spaces where decisions are made that disproportionately impact them.” --Aimee Roberson (Choctaw and Chickasaw), Cultural Survival Executive Director
Indigenous Peoples of Brazil arrived at COP30 with a demand: to participate in negotiations about their own territories and the future of the global climate. Instead, they were locked out and denied entry to the rooms where climate policy is decided, despite safeguarding 80% of the planet's remaining biodiversity.
Indigenous Peoples have been exercising their fundamental rights, as guaranteed under international human rights law, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and participation in decisions that affect their territories and futures. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has established that States cannot prohibit, restrict, block, or disrupt peaceful assemblies without compelling justification, regardless of disruption to daily activities. Disruption to traffic or routines does not transform lawful assembly into unlawful conduct.
Brazil promised an inclusive climate summit, yet has denied thousands of Indigenous delegates access to the Blue Zone, where climate policy is decided. Brazil cannot simultaneously champion climate justice while systematically denying Indigenous Peoples the right to participate in decision-making about their own territories.
Indigenous Peoples are demanding that the Brazilian government stop projects threatening their territories, demanding an end to extractive activities impacting Indigenous lands. As documented in Cultural Survival's report, "The Price of Green," Brazil's climate finance systematically funds these extractive projects without the consent of affected Indigenous communities. These demonstrations were a refusal to be treated as expendable.
Cultural Survival calls on the COP Presidency to center Indigenous Peoples in climate decision-making as authentic rights-holders. We call on Brazil to immediately stop financing extraction on Indigenous lands without Free, Prior and Informed Consent and to honor territorial demarcations.
Genuine climate solutions require Indigenous leadership. Without authentic Indigenous participation in designing climate policy, any COP30 agreement will continue to sacrifice our Peoples while pretending to save the planet.
