Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin

Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin
Name	Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin
Formation	1984
Headquarters	Quito, Peru, Bogotá
Region served	Amazon Basin
Languages	Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, Indigenous languages
Leader title	Executive Secretary

Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin is a regional indigenous coordination body founded in 1984 to represent indigenous nations of the Amazon Basin across national borders. It brings together leaders from diverse Amazonian peoples to advocate before intergovernmental organizations, national legislatures, and international non-governmental organizations. The Coordinator engages with multilateral institutions and regional networks to protect territorial rights, cultural heritage, and environmental autonomy.

History

The initiative emerged amid transnational mobilization following the 1982 United Nations debates, the 1984 meetings in Quito and Lima, and the influence of indigenous federations such as CONFENIAE, COICA, and APIB. Early catalysts included reports by Greenpeace, advocacy by Survival International, and support from the World Bank social development programs. The Coordinator’s formation paralleled regional processes involving the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, the Andean Community, and campaigns linked to the Rio Earth Summit and the drafting of the International Labour Organization Convention 169. Key personalities and organizations that intersected with its history include leaders associated with Kayapó, Shuar, Asháninka, and Yasuni campaigns, and alliances with NGOs like Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, and Oxfam.

Organization and Structure

The Coordinator functions as a federation of national and subnational indigenous organizations, modeled after federative structures used by Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), and Fundación Nacional del Indio (FUNAI) practices. Its secretariat often rotates among host cities such as Quito, Manaus, Iquitos, Brasília, and Bogotá. Internal bodies include an executive secretariat, a technical commission, a territorial rights commission, a cultural commission, and political liaison units that engage with bodies like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Pan American Health Organization, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, and the Latin American Parliament. Funding streams historically have included grants from European Union programs, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and bilateral cooperation from states such as Norway, Germany, and Canada.

Membership and Participating Peoples

Membership comprises federations and councils representing dozens of indigenous nations: Achuar, Aguaruna, Asháninka, Awajún, Arawak, Bora, Cocama, Conibo, Desana, Huitoto, Kichwa, Kuwarup, Makuxi, Matsés, Munduruku, Nukak, Shuar, Shipibo-Conibo, Siona, Siriema, Ticuna, Tucano, Waiwai, Wapishana, Wayana, Wauja, Yanomami, Yagua, and Yucuna. National member organizations include COICA, CONFENIAE, APIB, ONIC, COIAB, FOIRN, and ORPIA. The Coordinator also engages with Afro-descendant organizations like Movimento Negro groups and campesino federations such as Via Campesina affiliates during cross-sectoral forums, as well as international NGOs including Amazon Watch and research institutions like Imazon.

Mandate and Objectives

Its charter articulates mandates aligned with international instruments: protection of collective rights under ILO Convention 169, advocacy for recognition of collective titles in accordance with rulings by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, defense of territories against extractive industries represented by corporate actors like Vale, Chevron, and TotalEnergies, and participation in environmental governance arenas such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and Convention on Biological Diversity processes. Objectives include securing demarcation of indigenous territories, cultural survival under pressures from settlers and agribusiness such as JBS, safeguarding sacred sites like those in Yasuni National Park, and promoting indigenous participation in health initiatives of the Pan American Health Organization and education programs linked to UNESCO.

Activities and Campaigns

Activities range from territorial mapping using partnerships with Google Earth and researchers from National Geographic and Museo Nacional de Antropología collaborations, to legal defense in courts influenced by precedents like the Awas Tingni v. Nicaragua case. The Coordinator leads campaigns against deforestation tied to projects like the BR-319 corridor and hydroelectric projects such as Belo Monte, campaigns for rights during mining controversies like Tambogrande and oil conflicts in Lago Agrio, and coordinated responses to pandemics working with PAHO and WHO. It organizes pan-Amazonian assemblies, participates in multilateral forums like the Conference of Parties (UNFCCC) and the COP process, and conducts capacity-building with universities such as Federal University of Amazonas and think tanks like IADB programs.

Governance and Decision-Making

Decision-making follows a consensus-oriented model influenced by practices of federations such as CONAIE and APIB, with general assemblies, regional councils, and rotating presidencies. Governance mechanisms interface with national institutions such as Ministerio de Salud Pública, Ministry of the Environment (Peru), and legislative bodies like the National Congress of Brazil for advocacy and litigation. The Coordinator maintains working relations with intergovernmental entities including the Organization of American States, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Challenges and Criticisms

Criticisms include allegations of limited transparency resembling disputes faced by organizations like COIAB, difficulties in coordinating across states with differing policies such as those of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia, and tensions between traditional leadership and NGO partners like Conservation International and WWF. Operational challenges involve funding volatility from donors like the European Union and foundations, political pressure from extractive industry actors such as Anglo American and Glencore, and legal obstacles in courts influenced by precedents such as Lago Agrio litigation. The Coordinator also contends with contested representation claims involving groups like Yasuni activists and debates over REDD+ mechanisms promoted by actors including UN-REDD and World Bank programs.

Category:Indigenous rights organizations Category:Amazon Basin