Guyana’s Iwokrama Forest model’s success showcased at COP29

The success of Guyana’s Iwokrama Forest model was showcased at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, at Baku, Azerbaijan on Tuesday. 

The success of Iwokrama Forest was chronicled in a short film, ‘Take only what you need: The success of the Iwokrama Forest’, emphasising the importance of the Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge in the fight against climate change. 

It was produced by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (IIC).

The film was showcased during COP29 official side event, “Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems in Climate Action: Delivering Together a Resilient Future for All,” and was co-hosted by Namibia, Seychelles, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The film’s key character, Toshao of Annai in Region Nine Michael Williams enthused the film’s fundamental message. 

The audience witnessed a beautiful short film that demonstrated Iwokrama’s wisdom and the ability of indigenous knowledge to foster sustainable livelihoods and economies, particularly when combined with Western science.

The Iwokrama film complements the Forest Carbon Toolkit which was launched by the Commonwealth Secretariat at COP29.

The toolkit offers a road map for accessing funds through the voluntary carbon market while preserving the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and landowners. The toolkit includes case studies from Rwanda and Guyana.

Since 1996, the Commonwealth Secretariat has worked closely with the Government of Guyana to support the IIC. 

This partnership is buttressed by the Commonwealth’s 2022 Living Lands Charter, which aims to expedite integrated and sustainable land management in accordance with the three Rio conventions on climate change, biodiversity and land degradation. 

Commonwealth Secretary-General (Ret’d) Patricia Scotland KC, who unveiled the film, emphasised the need of indigenous knowledge in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. 

Scotland also pointed out that, “The Commonwealth Secretariat premiered this film at COP29 so delegates could hear the voices of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples and see the ground-breaking Iwokrama Forest model’s success.”

She elaborated, “The incredible progress of the last 200 years has come at an unsustainable cost. For a viable future, we need to acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples have managed their societies more sustainably. Justice, empowerment and solidarity with Indigenous Peoples will unlock a genuinely prosperous future for us all.” 

Meanwhile, Vice-Chairperson of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Sonia Latchman proudly expressed, “The video we saw says it all. In Guyana, we have the solution to the climate crisis, and we have a very good model for other countries to follow as it relates to diversity in Guyana, from rainforests, to savannahs, and wetlands…”

She emphasised, “Indigenous Peoples are very important. Our voices must be heard, our rights respected, and we must be invited to the table. Guyana should be an example because our model is working, not just for all Indigenous Peoples but for all citizens back home.” 

Despite their profound understanding of and relationships to the environment, Indigenous Peoples and local communities have historically been largely excluded from climate negotiations. 

This has led to the exclusion or compromise of their concerns, knowledge, and insights as stewards of the land, climate, and nature. 

In recent years, calls have increased in a number of Commonwealth nations to utilise local knowledge and wisdom to strengthen the role of Indigenous Peoples in climate and biodiversity negotiations.