CBD COP17 – Stop the Rollbacks
CBD COP17 – Stop the Rollbacks
Oct, 2026 LIVE
Rights and Resources Initiative

As governments gather in Armenia for the CBD COP17, the world’s biodiversity is disappearing and the climate crisis is advancing, yet the Convention is at risk of rolling back.

The #StopTheRollbacks campaign, led by RRI and backed by Indigenous, Afro-descendant, local community and civil society organizations from around the world, calls on Parties and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to uphold the rights already recognized, stop the rollbacks and increase ambition on biodiversity action.

Hard-won Recognition

For centuries, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and Afro-descendant Peoples have stewarded the world’s ecosystems.

For decades, they have fought biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation.

For years, they have slowly been recognized as the best solution holders in that fight.

Now, that recognition is under threat.

The CBD is Rolling Back

Ahead of COP17, proposals on the table could weaken what the Convention has already achieved.

– Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs) demoted, qualifying them as “complementary” actions.

– FPIC made optional with qualifiers such as “as appropriate,” or “where applicable”.

– Human rights minimized by removing references to the UNDRIP and human rights principles.

– Decision-making of rightsholders limited through a strict adherence to a “Party-led process”.

– Direct finance diluted with administrative burdens and conditional language.

What We’re Demanding

In a global open letter to ministers, heads of mission and negotiators,

the #StopTheRollbacks campaign is calling on the Parties to the CBD

to adopt rights-based, non-regressive texts across six topics:

  • 1

    Guidelines Goals 2 and 3: Indigenous and Traditional Territories as a distinct conservation category, FPIC without qualifications.​

  • 2

    Article 8(j): Direct and meaningful participation and a rights-based work program.​

  • 3

    Digital Sequence Information (DSI) and the Cali Fund​: Operating fund, ≥50% direct access and traceability in accordance with CARE principles.​

  • 4

    Decision 16/6 - Afrodescendant Peoples: Full participation and explicit mention in all CBD decisions.​

  • 5

    Direct Funding: Direct access for community organizations without any conditions undermining it.​

  • 6

    Gender Action Plan: Use the agreed-upon terminology, and include data disaggregated by sex and on women’s land tenure in collective territories.​

2026 can't be when we give up the fight. Armenia can't be where we yield.

Sign the Open Letter 

Join the call →
Results

More than 100 organizations already signed. Join us!

  1. African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF)
  2. Amazon Conservation Team
  3. Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques (AMPB)
  4. Alliance Nationale d’Appui et de Promotion des Aires et territoires du Patrimoine Autochone et Communautaire en République Démocratique du Congo (ANAPAC RDC)
  5. Articulación de los Pueblos Indígenas de Brasil (APIB)
  6. Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)
  7. Asociación de Mujeres Afrodescendientes del norte del Cauca (ASOM)
  8. Asociación de Mujeres Artesanas de Ipetí Emberá (AMARIE)
  9. Asociación Interetnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP)
  10. Asociación de Forestería Comunitaria de Guatemala Utz Che’
  11. Association of Gerakan Konservasi Rakyat Nusantara
  12. Association des femmes autochtones Pygmées
  13. Association des jeunes pour la protection de l’environnement (AJPE)
  14. Association Mikea Iraike
  15. Association OKANI
  16. Association de Bomassa pour la Promotion de la Culture et la Protection de la Biodiversité (ABPCPB)
  17. Association pour le Développement Durable des Populations Autochtones et Locales du Gabon (ADDPALG)
  18. Association pour la Conservation et la Protection des Écosystèmes des Lacs et l’Agriculture Durable
  19. Association pour le respect du droit des populations autochtones du développement durable et du droit de l’homme (ARPA2DH)
  20. Autopromotion rurale pour un developpement humain durable (ADHD)
  21. Brainforest
  22. Bridging The Gap Botswana
  23. Bureau Communautaire pour l’Environnement, l’Agriculture et le Développement Durable (BCEAD)
  24. Cámara Sectorial de Guardianes de la Biodiversidad (CSG/MMA)
  25. Cambodia Indigenous Youth Association
  26. Campaign for Nature
  27. Centre de Formation d’Appui au Développement Durable (CEFAD)
  28. Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Research and Development
  29. Centre d’Appui a la Gestion Durable des Forets Tropicales
  30. Centre des Technologies Innovatrices et le Développement Durable (CTIDD)
  31. Centre pour l’Information Environnementale et le Développement Durable (CIEDD)
  32. Centro Cultural Pircayllus
  33. Centro de Desarrollo Étnico (CEDET)
  34. Cercle des droits de l’Homme et de developpement (CDHD)
  35. Coalition des Femmes Leaders pour l’environnement et le développement durable
  36. Coletivo jupago kreká
  37. Community Empowerment for Change
  38. Community Land Action Now!
  39. Confederación Comarca Afroecuatoriana del Norte de Esmeraldas (CANE)
  40. Congolese Resources Institute (CRI)
  41. Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de la Amazonía Ecuatoriana (CONFENIAE)
  42. Conseil en Environnement et Developpement Durable REDD+
  43. Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas (CAOI)
  44. Earth Insight
  45. Equité Verte
  46. Femmes Engagées à consolider la Paix et l’Assainissement pour le Développement durable (FEPAD) Burundi
  47. Femmes Forêts Développement (FFD)
  48. Fondation Internationale pour le Développement, l’Éducation, l’Entreprenariat et la Protection de l’Environnement (FIDEPE)
  49. Food Forestry Environment Protection and Conservation Society
  50. Forest Trends
  51. Foundation for Community Initiatives (FCI)
  52. Foundation for Good Governance and Democratic Initiative (FGGDI)
  53. Fundación Afroecuatoriana AZÚCAR
  54. Fundación ALDEA
  55. Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN)
  56. Global Forum of Local Communities (GFLC)
  57. Green Advocates International
  58. Green Foundation Nepal
  59. Green Landscapes Intitiatives
  60. Groupe d’Appui à la Gestion Intégrée des Ressources Naturelles pour les Droits Humains et le Développement Durable (GIRENAD)
  61. Groupe de Travail Climat REDD Renové
  62. Grupo de Trabajo Internacional para la protección de los Pueblos Indígenas en Aislamiento y Contacto Inicial (GTI PIACI)
  63. Huairou Commission
  64. Initiative pour la Gestion Durable de l’Environnement et la Défense des Droits Humains (IGED)
  65. Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development (IPSD) Cameroon
  66. Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group (INWOLAG)
  67. Instituto Indígena Brasileiro de Propriedade Intelectual (INBRAPI)
  68. Integrated development initiatives in ngorongoro (IDINGO)
  69. Jaringan Pemangku Hak Areal Konservasi Kelola Masyarakat (ICCA Custodian Network)
  70. Landesa
  71. Les Amis de la Nature-Culture et Environnement
  72. Lesotho Youth Climate Network (LYCN)
  73. Ligue Nationale des Associations Autochtones Pygmées du Congo (LINAPYCO)
  74. Namati
  75. National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF)
  76. Natural Resource Women Platform
  77. Nepal yak churi federations
  78. Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP)
  79. Organizacion Nacional Indigena de Colombia (ONIC)
  80. Organización Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas Andinas y Amazónicas del Perú (ONAMIAP)
  81. ONG Ezaka ho Fampandrosoana any Ambanivohitra (ONG EFA)
  82. ONG Muyissi Environnement
  83. Organisation Congolais des Écologistes et Amis de la Nature (OCÉAN)
  84. Organización de Desarrollo Étnico Comunitario (ODECO)
  85. Organización de los Pueblos indígenas de la Amazonía Colombiana (OPIAC)
  86. Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC)
  87. Pastoralist Goals Foundation
  88. Plataforma Boliviana Frente al Cambio Climático
  89. Pour un Monde Meilleur (P2M)
  90. Proceso de Comunidades Negras (PCN)
  91. Programme Intégré pour le Développement du Peuple Pygmée (PIDP)
  92. Rainforest Foundation Norway
  93. Rainforest Foundation UK
  94. Rainforest Foundation US
  95. Red de Ecominias Propias de America Latina
  96. Red Dominicana de Estudios y Empoderamiento Afrodescendiente (RedAfros)
  97. Rede Vozes Negras pelo Clima
  98. Red Mexicana de Organizaciones Campesinas Forestales (Red MOCAF)
  99. Reseau des Peuples Autochtones Pour L’Afrique Centrale
  100. Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE)
  101. Rights and Rice Foundation
  102. Rights and Resources Initiative
  103. Rural Women’s Assembly Zimbabwe
  104. Sierra Leone Land Alliance
  105. Sinatsisa Lubombo Women and Girls Empowerment Organization
  106. Steps Without Borders NGO
  107. Social Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Development
  108. Solidarité des Intervenants sur le Foncier (SIF)
  109. Sustainable Development Institute (SDI)
  110. Synergie des Initiatives et Actions Communautaire pour le Développement Intégral (SIACODI)
  111. TINTA (The Invisible Thread)
  112. Tu Amazonia
  113. Union pour le développement des minorités ekonda (Peuples vivants des forêts) (UDME ONGD)
  114. Useflora/Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)
  115. Vereniging van Saamaka Gemeenschappen
  116. Wise Ancestors

Resources

Read the Open Letter
Sign on the Open Letter
Social Media Kit

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