Chief Juma Xipaia demands forest peoples be heard at COP30

By Fabyo Cruz – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) – The first female chief of the Kaarimã village in the Xipaya Indigenous Territory, in Altamira (PA), Juma Xipaia participated this Thursday, the 24th, in the Global Citizen NOW: Amazon event held at the Estação das Docas in Belém. In an interview with CENARIUM, the leader demanded that traditional communities be recognized as key decision-makers in shaping the planet’s future and warned against the historic exclusion of these groups from power structures.

Juma, whose path is marked by resistance to the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam and the defense of Indigenous rights, called civil society participation in the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30)—to be held in November in the Pará state capital—“essential.” According to her, climate summits such as the COPs must become increasingly open to diverse voices, and not be limited to heads of state and institutional representatives.

“The COP needs to be increasingly democratized. Participation must include children, youth, and elders. That’s essential when talking about the climate,” said the leader, who has been active since adolescence in movements such as Xingu Vivo Para Sempre.

The chief further stressed that discussions on climate change and adaptation must include those who actually live in the forest. “If today we still have 80% of the planet’s biodiversity preserved, it’s because of peoples—not only Indigenous peoples, but also Quilombolas, riverine communities, Roma, extractivists, and so many others who are being criminalized and marginalized, but who are on the frontlines of protecting the planet, ensuring balance, and preserving this biodiversity,” she emphasized.

She also asserted that these communities must not only be heard but directly included in the decision-making process. “Obviously, we cannot be left out of these spaces. Not just as participants, but as people included in the crucial decisions—not only concerning the present, but especially what defines our future,” she concluded.

Juma Xipaia was accompanied by her husband Hugo Loss. The environmentalist, who works as an analyst at Ibama, used the occasion to defend the importance of public institutions operating in the Amazon.

“It’s vital to strengthen institutions like Ibama, the National Center for Biodiversity (Cinebio), and the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai), which protect the environment and traditional communities, and are responsible for keeping the Amazon standing,” said Hugo Loss.

The Global Citizen NOW: Amazon event brought together Indigenous leaders, experts, civil society representatives, and policymakers to discuss priorities ahead of COP30. The agenda focused on three main fronts: mobilizing resources to restore the rainforest and secure Indigenous land rights; advocating for a just energy transition with a move away from fossil fuels; and ensuring climate financing from the world’s highest-emitting nations. The initiative also aims to raise $1 billion by the time the conference takes place.

Edited by Jadson Lima
Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves