South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development to host forum on Ancestral Wisdom for Environmental Protection

The Cartagena Forum will culminate in a UN Declaration marking UNESCO’s Decade of Indigenous Languages.

CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, COLOMBIA, June 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development (SSCC) is proud to announce the launch of a groundbreaking programme focused on preserving and sharing the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous Peoples to advance global environmental protection. On July 1-2, the forum will be inaugurated during a high-level forum hosted by the Government of Spain in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cartagena de Indias.

Despite wide recognition of the deep connection between Indigenous communities and ecosystem stewardship, concrete action to embed this knowledge into policy and practice often lags behind. The SSCC initiative aims to change that by catalyzing real-world applications of traditional environmental wisdom across continents.

The Ancestral Wisdom and Environmental Protection Forum features an exceptional roster of global leaders and Indigenous voices, including:

- Puyr Tembé, Indigenous leader from the Amazon and Minister for Indigenous Affairs of the State of Pará, Brazil
- Ivonne Baki, Director of UNESCO Peru and former Minister for the Yasuni Region, Ecuador
- Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
- Vinicio Cerezo, Former President of Guatemala
- Indigenous spiritual leaders and experts from the Philippines, Malaysia, Ghana, DRC, and Cameroon
- Olinda Salguero, President of Fundación Esquipulas and Vice President of the Presidential Mission (comprising 32 former heads of state)
- Deputy ministers of environment and culture of the Government of Colombia

The Cartagena Forum will culminate in the Cartagena Declaration, a strategic document marking the UNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages and proposing concrete cross-regional initiatives. A permanent coalition will be established to guide a multi-year programme, rotating among continents. The Philippines Chair of ASEAN in 2026, has committed to hosting the next edition in Manila in 2026.

“Protecting Indigenous heritage and language is essential to sound environmental progress," stated Viktor Sebek, President of SSCC. “Policies at all levels must be built upon the knowledge and leadership of those most affected by climate change."

Further details can be seen on the dedicated website: https://ancestralwisdomforum.org/es/

SSCC extends gratitude to its generous supporters, including Neko Sparks Financial Services and Vijay Karia’s Opticloud, recipient of a UN innovation award for climate action at COP29 in Dubai.

Viktor Sebek
SSCC
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