“Baku Forest Declaration” Calls for Climate Justice: Indigenous Rights and Forest Protection at the Heart of COP 29

“Baku Forest Declaration” Calls for Climate Justice: Indigenous Rights and Forest Protection at the Heart of COP 29

 

(Baku, Azerbaijan, November 19) – As global leaders gather at COP 29, the Global Forest Coalition (GFC) and members and allies from Central Asia and the Caucasus have issued the “Baku Forest Declaration,” urging a paradigm shift in climate negotiations to prioritize forest protection, Indigenous rights, and climate justice. This landmark declaration calls on COP 29’s presidency and the Parties to the Paris Agreement to address the devastating impacts of forest fires and deforestation, recognise the critical role of natural forests, and move beyond market-driven solutions to achieve sustainable climate action.

The declaration, signed and endorsed by more than 30 organisations from across the Caucasus and the globe, including groups from Armenia, Russia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan emphasises the alarming impact of fires and deforestation on local ecosystems and biodiversity. In 2024 alone, forest fires across Russia destroyed over 7.7 million hectares, an area comparable to the size of Azerbaijan itself. Such fires obliterate entire ecosystems, demonstrating the shortcomings of current climate policies that fail to protect forests from deforestation.

The Baku Forest Declaration sends a strong message to the international community at COP 29. Protecting our forests and empowering Indigenous communities to participate in climate decision-making are indispensable to achieving climate stability.

The coalition calls for the protection of Indigenous People’s rights and the recognition of their traditional knowledge in forest conservation, advocating for policies that go beyond merely seeing forests as carbon sinks. 

“We can no longer ignore that forests are more than carbon stocks. They are homes, water reservoirs, and lifelines for millions, especially in regions like Central Asia and the Caucasus,” said Andrey Laletin, GFC Regional Coordinator for Central Asia and Eastern Europe. “Climate policies must focus on community-based, gender-just, and rights-based solutions.”

In addition to reinforcing the call for equity and climate justice, the declaration emphasises specific policy changes, including the cessation of market-based mechanisms like REDD+ and carbon trading. The statement urges increased support for alternatives that alleviate local communities’ dependency on biomass, such as renewable energy sources and energy-efficient solutions under fair, just and equitable transitions.

“The Baku Forest Declaration sends a strong message to the international community at COP 29. Protecting our forests and empowering Indigenous communities to participate in climate decision-making are indispensable to achieving climate stability,” said Anna Kirilenko, GFC Chair.

Among its recommendations, the declaration advocates for urgent regional cooperation to conserve floodplain river-gallery forests—some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems. It also suggests forming continental agreements to conserve forest belts critical for moisture regulation and climate resilience.

With the declaration, the coalition calls on negotiators and governments to acknowledge the role of intact ecosystems and promote fair, inclusive, and sustainable climate action. 

“The time to act is now. If we fail to protect our forests, we fail the planet and future generations,” concluded Laletin.

 

For further information, please contact: 

Megan Morrissey +12023656900, megan@globalforestcoalition.org 

Ismail Wolff +33 7 88 85 28 59 ismail.wolff@globalforestcoalition.org

19 Nov, 2024
Posted in UNFCCC, Press releases, Forests and Climate Change