GCF Global Conference on Indigenous Peoples
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GCF Global Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Opening Remarks of Helen Biangalen-Magata Message and Press Release

Event Title: GCF Global Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Venue: Incheon, Republic of Korea

Date: 8-10 April 2026

 

Distinguished Indigenous brothers and sisters, esteemed colleagues from the GCF secretariat led by Mafalda and her distinguished colleagues who are here, National Designated Authorities, representatives of different ministries and governments, accredited entities, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Ammay ay orkiw taku am-in.

Please allow me to begin by taking a moment to reflect on the journey of Indigenous Peoples within the Green Climate Fund. As we do so, we can truly appreciate how far we have come, while also recognizing the significant work that still remains to be done.

Twelve years ago, when Indigenous Peoples first participated in the GCF board meeting, we would attend board meetings and count how many times Indigenous Peoples were mentioned—sometimes just a single mention, sometimes none. I recall one meeting where Indigenous Peoples were mentioned only twice, by a single board member.

Fast forward to 2018, when the Indigenous Peoples Policy of the GCF was adopted—a milestone achieved through the concerted efforts of Indigenous organizations worldwide. 180 IP organizations signed the call for a stand-alone Indigenous Peoples policy. We had the strong backing of the observer network of CSOs, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and champions within the secretariat, including the late Leonardo Paat, who was our close ally in the secretariat as the then safeguard specialist when the GCF was developing the IP policy, board members, and accredited entities.

Today, eight years after this historic policy, we gather here— the first time in GCF history— to define a framework for Indigenous Peoples' access to the resources of the Fund, from diverse regions where the GCF operates.

This is a momentous occasion, as the GCF celebrates ten years of impact on the ground as it reflects areas for improvement. Next year also marks the GCF replenishment, where countries will pledge new resources. Recently, the Board selected host countries for new regional offices around the world, reflecting the Fund’s growth. We envision similar growth and strengthening of partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.

The Fund aspires to manage a capitalization of USD 50 billion by 2030. We must ask ourselves: what is the equitable share of Indigenous Peoples in this vision? The Independent Evaluation Unit’s recommendation to create a dedicated window is clear—current modalities fall short of delivering the benefits Indigenous Peoples deserve.

In my community and I am sure, in many other indigenous Peoples community, there is a practice called changas. Changas is when the community would work all together to help one person or family construct their own house. They will bring their own tools, food or even construction materials to help a person construct the house. At the end of the day of construction, at the end of the day, the neighbors would gather around the fire, which we call ap-puy- a seemingly insignificant act of gathering, but it is always imbued with a sense of solidarity, shared purpose, and lasting impact.

This conference is much like a changas. We are the neighbors who came from different parts of the world but we are creating our shared house – a dedicated IP arrangement within the GCF. It is a not work for just one person and that is why we are all here- to contribute, to bring our expertise and help design and construct that house together.

I invite you, brothers and sisters … and our friends, over these next three days—and beyond— pragmatic: what can we do in the short, medium, and long term? Yet I also urge us to be bold in envisioning Indigenous Peoples’ climate ambition within the GCF.  What will success look like ten years from now?

So let’s get to work and get that house done. 

[Image of Helen Biangalen-Magata from GCF reel]

Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus – Press Conference

Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus – Press Conference

Written by Mitch Teofilo Message and Press Release

Belém, Brazil burns with voices of resistance. 

The Amazon, chosen as the stage for the 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP30), stands as both a symbol of hope and a site of devastation. While negotiators spoke of “just transitions,” the forest itself is collapsing under the weight of extractive industries, oil drilling and corporate greed. Indigenous leaders and defenders made it clear—the Amazon is crying out and its defenders will not be silenced.

A powerful action erupts outside the venue, where Indigenous leaders and grassroots movements joined forces to send a clear message: Climate policy must be rooted in justice, not exclusion. Far from chaos, these demonstrations embodied clarity. They expose the widening gap between promises made and the reality of inaction endured daily by peoples in the frontlines.

As representatives of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus, we stand in solidarity with these voices. We know too well the consequences of broken promises. Across our region, communities already suffer from floods, droughts, fires and rising seas. These are not abstract risks, they are lived realities. Yet too often, discussions reduce loss and damage to numbers and metrics, ignoring the destruction of culture, identity and the deep ties between people and land. 

Pledges are announced with fanfare, but access for Indigenous Peoples and communities remains blocked by bureaucracy and corporate capture. Without direct flows, finance becomes another broken promise, reinforcing inequality instead of addressing it–while negotiators speak of renewable energy, fossil fuel interests remain deeply embedded. Without a decisive phase‑out, talk of transition is empty rhetoric.

COP30 has revealed the profound disconnect between the urgency of the climate crisis and the inertia of state‑led negotiations. The demonstrations inside and outside these halls are not failures of diplomacy—they are acts of courage. They expose systemic failure and demand accountability. They remind us that climate justice requires listening to those most affected, dismantling extractive systems and ensuring that commitments reach communities directly.

From Belém, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon and all communities in the frontlines. Their struggle is our struggle. Their fight for land, dignity and survival is the same fight we wage across Asia and beyond.

We will not be silenced until climate justice is real, until exclusion ends and until the future belongs to all of us.