Dozens of association leaders, government representatives, and officials of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) formed a committee in which they presented their views on the impact of climate change on these social groups.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, Governor of the Department for the Promotion of Integrated Human Development, and Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Affairs, Anne Norgham, also participated in the discussion.
Myrna Cunningham, President of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean, opened the deliberations with a presentation in which she indicated that any discussion related to the climate crisis requires taking into account the vision of indigenous peoples.
On behalf of the Afro-Colombian National Peace Council, its Coordinator, Richard Moreno, who highlighted the impact of climate change on communities of African descent in his country, spoke in complex circumstances exacerbated by various factors such as the presence of armed actors.
The head of the Afro-European Diaspora Development Forum, Alexis Newberg, addressed the issue of migration flows caused by climate change, which has resulted in other problems such as discrimination and marginalization of migrants in the countries they arrive.
One salient aspect was the need to protect indigenous and people of African descent, who contribute little to climate change, even though they are among those who suffer the most.
Incorporating the wisdom of these residents into climate change strategies was another common denominator in the debate, and Norgam concluded with a clear message emerging that we must all act and do so now.
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