First Face to Face Meeting of the GEO-7 Indigenous and Local Knowledge Taskforce

At the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (March 2022) Member States requested the Executive Director to prepare the seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO).  To initiate this work, the GEO Secretariat consulted with Member State experts during an Adhoc Open-ended meeting on the scope and annotated outline for the GEO-7.  During that consultation there was a strong message that diverse knowledge systems should be consulted and used in the GEO=7 analysis, including Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK).  

GEO proposes to first organize a face-to-face meeting of the task force, so they may establish their priorities and approve their work plan.  It is expected the task force will want to organize a series of dialogue workshops on Indigenous and local knowledge with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) to assist with identifying key Indigenous and local knowledge that is relevant to GEO-7 including:

• practices, 
• values and actions in biodiversity conservation, as well as 
• current challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples and local communities.  

Meeting objectives:

1. Discuss the ILK methodological approach for GEO-7 (definitions, concepts, positionality, ethical concerns- based on the IPBES methodological approach).
2. Discuss the approach for regional and sub-regional incorporation of ILK issues within GEO-7
3. Discuss GEO-7 chapters to identify key areas for integration of ILK issues (following the zero order draft review).
4. Identify any gaps in expertise of the ILK taskforce and identify additional authors (Contributing Authors) that may be needed.
5. Discuss the ILK evidence base and literature for GEO-7.
6. Discuss the IPLC dialogues, including the process of inviting them to IPLC dialogue meetings.
7. Discuss and agree on the ILK Taskforce’s work plan for the coming years and the next steps.