Indigenous and Local Communities and Climate Change: Press Conference and Photo exhibition in New York.
To mark IBD, the Secretariat issued a report on the impacts of climate change on ILCs particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The focus was on ILCs in three biomes: those in the arctic (including the Sammi, and Inuit), in mountain ecosystems (such as communities living in the Andes), and in small island developing states. The report represents the first time that the Secretariat has looked specifically at the impact of climate change on ILCs.
To promote the report, the Secretariat worked in partnership with the Division of Public Information in New York and organized a press conference on the margins of the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues. The Panel included representatives from the following regions: the Arctic, high altitude (Andes and Hindu-Kush), and small islands (Caribbean and Pacific). Discussions focused on the social and cultural impacts of climate change and resulting biodiversity loss. The panel was followed by a broad ranging discussion for more than an hour, as the international press showed a high-level of interest in this event.
To complement the launch of the report, the Secretariat worked with the Division of Public Information in New York to create a photo exhibition on the impact of climate change on indigenous communities. The exhibition consisted of 5 panels containing photos and text and was an integral part of the Cultural exhibition at the sixth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which took place in New York from 14 to 25 May 2007. The exhibition will also travel to the headquarters of UNESCO.
