Indigenous Peoples are the time-immemorial guardians of many of the world’s remaining biodiversity-rich landscapes – and of the spirituality, values and worldviews embedded in these spaces. As agricultural expansion, urbanization and commercial development threaten Indigenous ways of life and connection to the land, the world urgently needs to find ways to support this guardianship to help safeguard the health of the planet and sustain the diversity of species.

This plenary amplifies the voices of Indigenous guardians, and provides a platform for civil society groups, the private sector, policy-makers, local authorities and youth to discuss processes that draw from Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ knowledge to generate scalable solutions to contemporary challenges. These solutions will be rooted in reciprocity, will help to achieve human and ecological well-being, and will promote just and sustainable decision-making that restores harmony between people and nature.