Oslo Tropical Forest Forum 2024
Environment ministers meet to advance action on protecting rainforests
Tuesday, 25th of June sees the start of the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum, a global conference to promote measures to protect tropical forests. "We must ensure that the rainforest is at the centre of the UN's global efforts for nature and climate," says Rainforest Foundation Norway.
COLORFUL: A colorful tree stands out in the Brazilian Amazon. Photo: Araquem Alcantara
By Regnskogfondet.
"With the UN Nature Summit in Colombia this autumn and next year's climate negotiations in Brazil, the rainforest will be at the centre of global efforts for nature and climate. The Oslo Tropical Forest Forum is an opportunity to ensure that this momentum is harnessed. For Norway, it should mean a clear promise that funding for Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, NICFI, will be maintained at least at the current level," says Anders Haug Larsen, director of International Advocacy at Rainforest Foundation Norway.
MINISTER: Colombian minister of environment and sustainable development, Susana Muhamad, is one of the ministers attending the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum 2024. Photo courtesy of the Colombian Embassy in Oslo.
Bringing together experts, activists and policymakers from around the world
The Ministers of the Environment of Colombia, Indonesia and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo will attend the conference, as well as
ministers from western countries such as Norway, Germany and the UK.
Representatives from Indigenous peoples' organisations, civil society,
policy makers and other stakeholders will also be present.
NORAD, the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency, is hosting the conference.
Indigenous peoples' contribution to climate and biodiversity
Rainforests managed by Indigenous peoples sequester more carbon and have a richer diversity of species than rainforests with other forms of governance.
During the conference, Rainforest Foundation Norway will promote Indigenous peoples' contributions to solving the climate and nature crisis.
In cooperation with the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), we will host a parallel session entitled: "Indigenous peoples' solutions to the global biodiversity and climate targets".
Coming to Oslo
Representatives from several of Rainforest Foundation Norway's partner organisations will be attending the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum, including Indigenous representatives from both Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Here is a selection of participants that are coming to Oslo:
Elaine Shajian Shawit
Elaine Shajian Shawit from the Awajun people is the first female leader of CORPI, an organisation representing
10 different indigenous groups from the Amazon rainforest in northern
Peru. RFN partners with CORPI to protect Indigenous rights and
rainforest lands in Peru.
"At OTFF, I want to share with the world the work that Indigenous peoples, and especially women, do in caring for the forests through our own governments and our ancestral knowledge. We are the greatest guardians of biodiversity, We are the ones who preserve and restore biodegraded forests and pass on ancestral knowledge from generation to generation. It's time for these contributions to be recognized," says Mrs. Shajian Shawit.
Photo: CORPI
Patrick Hemedi Saidi
Patrick Hemedi Saidi is the national coordinator of La Dynamique des Groupes des Peuples Autochtones (DGPA), an umbrella organisation representing a number of local initiatives working for the rights of indigenous peoples in DR Congo.
"Without a free and independent indigenous population, we will lose the key to preserving the Earth's natural diversity," says Mr. Saidi.
Photo: DGPA
Marcio Astrini
Marcio Astrini is the Executive Secretary of the Climate Observatory, a network of 94 Brazilian civil society organisations. The Climate Observatory promotes knowledge, engagement and action on finding solutions to the climate crisis. Mr. Astrini is an environmentalist with degrees in public management, constitutional law and public policy. He has been working on the socio-environmental agenda for over 18 years.
"If you are looking for a place with the highest concentration of life on the planet, look to the forests. If you want to find effective living mechanisms to combat the climate crisis, know they are also in the forests. What we need to do is simply take better care of those who have always taken care of us," says Mr. Astrini.
Photo: Climate Observatory
Rodrigo Botero
Rodrigo Botero is a renowned Colombian environmentalist and head of Rainforest Foundation Norway's partner organisation, the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS).
Rainforest Foundation Norway partnered with FCDS following the peace agreement between the FARC guerrillas and the Colombian authorities in 2016. FCDS monitors deforestation in the Colombian Amazon through regular overflights and maintains a close dialogue with the Norwegian authorities on the peace process in Colombia and on stopping deforestation.
Photo: Rainforest Foundation Norway
Jorge Perez Rubio
Jorge Perez is the executive director of AIDESEP, an umbrella organisation representing nine Indigenous organisations in Peru.
He will be co-presenting the 80/25 initiative at RFNs social event at the OTFF. The 80/25 initiative aims to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025, and Indigenous peoples are crucial to reaching this goal.
Photo: AIDESEP
Carmen Josse
Carmen Josse is the executive director of the EcoCiencia Foundation (Ecuador) and a PhD in Biological Sciences with specialization in vegetation and biogeography. Dr. Josse is also involved in the Amazon
Network of Geo-referenced Socio-Environmental Information (RAISG)
She will be co-presenting the 80/25 initiative at RFNs social event at the OTFF on behalf of RAISG. The 80/25 initiative aims to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025, and Indigenous peoples are crucial to reaching this goal.
Photo: EcoCiencia
For more information, contact:
Anders Haug Larsen
International Advocacy Director
(+47) 932 17 626
andershl@rainforest.no