As their own government fails to safeguard their rights, indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon are looking abroad for help. How can the international community best support them?
In this article for Climate Diplomacy, Maiara Folly, CIPÓ’s Programme Director, and Arthur Vieira, research assistant at CIPÓ, highlight how the international community and paradiplomacy can support indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon from threats to their right to land and general wellbeing. They argue for I) meaningful and effective participation of indigenous peoples as a precondition for the allocation of international funding for the protection of the Amazon forest; II) more funding for capacity-building initiatives led by indigenous peoples, especially those focused on strengthening their ability to both engage in international litigation as well as participate in international decision-making processes; and III) focus from the international community not only on initiatives to protect the Amazon forest, but also on ensuring the well-being and physical integrity of those who inhabit.
