What is COP?
In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the "Earth Summit," was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to Rubens Ricupero, a professor at the USP Institute of International Relations, “the 1988 assassination of environmental activist Chico Mendes – one of the founders of SOS Amazônia – in Xapuri, Acre, triggered international outrage. This outrage was largely due to the perceived inaction, complicity, or ineffectiveness of Brazilian authorities in addressing the ongoing destruction of the Amazon.” The professor affirms that the global reaction played a significant role in the decision to select Brazil as the host country for the conference.
The Earth Summit brought together political leaders, diplomats, scientists, journalists, and NGO representatives from 179 countries in a major effort to address the environmental consequences of human socio-economic activities in the post–Cold War era. Key issues on the agenda included Amazon wildfires, climate change, and biodiversity loss. As journalist Carlos Fioravanti noted, the event introduced the public to the then-emerging concept of "sustainable development." More than 7,000 journalists covered the summit, helping to popularize discussions on how to balance environmental protection with social and economic progress.
During the Earth Summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established, marking a multilateral commitment to provide financial, technological, and capacity-building support for both climate change mitigation and adaptation. The UNFCCC also created the Conference of the Parties (COP), the main decision-making body responsible for overseeing international efforts to combat climate change. Held annually in different cities around the world, COPs have resulted in significant agreements, most notably the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015 during COP21. This landmark accord aims to keep the increase in global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while also pursuing efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C.
What is the significance of hosting COP 30 in Belém, Pará?
In 2025, Brazil will host the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), which will take place in Belém, in the state of Pará. Belém is located within the Amazon Forest, specifically in the Amazon River delta, along the Guajará Bay and the Guamá River.
According to the most recent census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil is home to 1,693,535 Indigenous people, representing 180 distinct ethnic groups. Of these, 51.2% live in the Legal Amazon region. Despite making up only 6% of the global population, Indigenous peoples are responsible for conserving 80% of the world’s biodiversity, as noted in a report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Hosting COP 30 in Belém marks a shift toward greater inclusion of Indigenous and traditional communities, such as extractivists and fishers, in climate decision-making. This contrasts with the usual neocolonial structures of international conferences, which often prioritize economic interests over sustainability.
As stated by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), “the participation of Indigenous Peoples is essential to advance the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, and people-centered economic models.” They must be directly involved in the planning, design, implementation and monitoring of climate policies and actions, which must be based on traditional knowledge, knowledge systems and the contributions of Indigenous peoples to address climate change, nature conservation and loss of biodiversity.”
COP 31, possibly scheduled to take place in Australia next year, would likewise offer an opportunity to include traditional communities in the Pacific as key stakeholders.
What are the general goals of SOS Amazônia’s participation?
SOS Amazônia advocates for the interests and needs of traditional populations in the Amazon Forest—not only Indigenous communities, but also all land and water peoples: Quilombolas, riverine communities, fishers, peasants, religious groups, extractivists, coconut breakers, those affected by dams and mining, and landless rural workers.
As expressed in the Declaration of the Peoples of the Amazon for COP 30: “In the face of imminent collapse—when the planet burns and life cries out—we are the ones bearing the cruel burden of historical injustice and the neocolonial economy of destruction. We are the first to suffer the effects of drought, flood, poisoned air, and dead water. And yet, we remain silenced, persecuted, invisible, and marginalized by power.”
Moreover, SOS Amazônia seeks to challenge the persistent exclusion of non-state actors from meaningful participation in global mega-events. As Walker and Groen argue in their article, “Access and Meaningful Participation of Non-State Actors in the UNFCCC Process: Path-Dependencies in the Era of ‘Mega-COPs’,” gaining access is not synonymous with meaningful engagement. The article highlights that, despite the rapid increase in non-state actor participation at the UNFCCC, the issue “remains a lightning rod for controversy due to the lack of representation from developing country non-state actors and the participation of fossil fuel lobbyists who seek to undermine the integrity of the process and weaken its outcomes.”
What are the specific goals of SOS Amazônia’s participation?
SOS Amazônia hopes to be located in the Green Zone, a space designed for public engagement and interaction, where diverse stakeholders can showcase their work and participate in discussions during COP 30.
The organization views this participation as an opportunity to foster dialogue, innovation, investment, and initiatives that strengthen the commitment to a socio-environmental approach, both at the national and international levels.
As a local civil society organization working directly in protected areas and with traditional communities, SOS Amazônia seeks to strategically present key challenges and propose solutions grounded in active listening to the needs and perspectives of these communities.
Additionally, the organization aims to build networks that advance the Amazonian agenda. It will also leverage this platform for brand building and resource mobilization.
What do the land and water peoples demand?
As stated in the Declaration of the Peoples of the Amazon for COP 30, the campaign “The answer is us”, supported by SOS Amazônia, demands:
“COP30 is taking place on our land, and for that reason, we demand full, dignified, permanent presence with real decision-making power. We refuse to be reduced to mere spectators in decisions that determine the fate of the forest, our bodies, and our lives without us.
We call for the recognition of the Amazon as a common good of humanity, but under the inalienable food and energy sovereignty of the peoples who live in and resist within it. Effective climate action means caring for both human and environmental health. We reject any attempt to turn the forest into a commodity, a soulless financial asset. Without the peoples, the forest dies. We defend the sociobioeconomy and a new economy, led by the territorial governance and management of local peoples, that protects the forest and guarantees human rights.
An immediate end to predatory exploitation. We will not accept mining, gold digging, agribusiness, land grabbing, green monocultures, or any form of devastation disguised as an “energy transition.” We demand the urgent dismantling of the fossil fuel industry and a just, popular, and sovereign transition that respects our territories, values our knowledge, and places life above profit. The Amazon refuses to become a new frontier for oil and gas exploration.
Direct climate financing for the peoples of the forest and waters. The resources to save the planet must reach those who defend it and are most affected—without intermediaries, without colonial bureaucracy, through direct transfers to their own funds and mechanisms. We are not passive recipients; we are active protagonists of climate solutions rooted in the territories.
An end to violence against our bodies and territories. Enough blood has been shed for the advance of capital. The Brazilian State is responsible for its omission in the face of the murder of leaders, the persecution of forest defenders, and the rise of armed militias. We must end impunity. We demand accountability and immediate, comprehensive protection for those who protect life. Defending the defenders is a non-negotiable condition of any climate policy that claims to be just.”
Text: Natália Juliano
Sources:
COP30 Belém. (2025). What is the COP? https://cop30.br/en/about-cop30/what-is-the-cop
United Nations. (n.d.). United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3–14 June 1992. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992
Fioravanti, C. (2022). Rio 92 consolidated environmental concepts. https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/rio-92-consolidated-environmental-concepts/
United Nations News. (2025). COP30: Conferência no Brasil quer garantir protagonismo de indígenas e comunidades tradicionais. https://news.un.org/pt/story/2025/04/1847766
WWF Brasil. (2024). Indigenous leaders launch the Indigenous Peoples’ Troika at COP 29 to strengthen global participation in climate negotiations. https://www.wwf.org.br/?90260/Indigenous-Leaders-Launch-the-Indigenous-Peoples-Troika-at-COP-29-to-Strengthen-Global-Participation-in-Climate-Negotiations
SOS Amazônia. (2025). Declaração do Mutirão dos Povos da Amazônia para a COP 30. https://sosamazonia.org.br/tpost/ehhyxkon61-declarao-do-mutiro-dos-povos-da-amaznia
Walker, H., & Groen, L. (2025). Access and meaningful participation of non-state actors in the UNFCCC process: Path-dependencies in the era of ‘mega-COPs.’ Climate Policy, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2531096
In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the "Earth Summit," was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to Rubens Ricupero, a professor at the USP Institute of International Relations, “the 1988 assassination of environmental activist Chico Mendes – one of the founders of SOS Amazônia – in Xapuri, Acre, triggered international outrage. This outrage was largely due to the perceived inaction, complicity, or ineffectiveness of Brazilian authorities in addressing the ongoing destruction of the Amazon.” The professor affirms that the global reaction played a significant role in the decision to select Brazil as the host country for the conference.
The Earth Summit brought together political leaders, diplomats, scientists, journalists, and NGO representatives from 179 countries in a major effort to address the environmental consequences of human socio-economic activities in the post–Cold War era. Key issues on the agenda included Amazon wildfires, climate change, and biodiversity loss. As journalist Carlos Fioravanti noted, the event introduced the public to the then-emerging concept of "sustainable development." More than 7,000 journalists covered the summit, helping to popularize discussions on how to balance environmental protection with social and economic progress.
During the Earth Summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established, marking a multilateral commitment to provide financial, technological, and capacity-building support for both climate change mitigation and adaptation. The UNFCCC also created the Conference of the Parties (COP), the main decision-making body responsible for overseeing international efforts to combat climate change. Held annually in different cities around the world, COPs have resulted in significant agreements, most notably the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015 during COP21. This landmark accord aims to keep the increase in global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while also pursuing efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C.
What is the significance of hosting COP 30 in Belém, Pará?
In 2025, Brazil will host the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), which will take place in Belém, in the state of Pará. Belém is located within the Amazon Forest, specifically in the Amazon River delta, along the Guajará Bay and the Guamá River.
According to the most recent census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil is home to 1,693,535 Indigenous people, representing 180 distinct ethnic groups. Of these, 51.2% live in the Legal Amazon region. Despite making up only 6% of the global population, Indigenous peoples are responsible for conserving 80% of the world’s biodiversity, as noted in a report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Hosting COP 30 in Belém marks a shift toward greater inclusion of Indigenous and traditional communities, such as extractivists and fishers, in climate decision-making. This contrasts with the usual neocolonial structures of international conferences, which often prioritize economic interests over sustainability.
As stated by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), “the participation of Indigenous Peoples is essential to advance the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, and people-centered economic models.” They must be directly involved in the planning, design, implementation and monitoring of climate policies and actions, which must be based on traditional knowledge, knowledge systems and the contributions of Indigenous peoples to address climate change, nature conservation and loss of biodiversity.”
COP 31, possibly scheduled to take place in Australia next year, would likewise offer an opportunity to include traditional communities in the Pacific as key stakeholders.
What are the general goals of SOS Amazônia’s participation?
SOS Amazônia advocates for the interests and needs of traditional populations in the Amazon Forest—not only Indigenous communities, but also all land and water peoples: Quilombolas, riverine communities, fishers, peasants, religious groups, extractivists, coconut breakers, those affected by dams and mining, and landless rural workers.
As expressed in the Declaration of the Peoples of the Amazon for COP 30: “In the face of imminent collapse—when the planet burns and life cries out—we are the ones bearing the cruel burden of historical injustice and the neocolonial economy of destruction. We are the first to suffer the effects of drought, flood, poisoned air, and dead water. And yet, we remain silenced, persecuted, invisible, and marginalized by power.”
Moreover, SOS Amazônia seeks to challenge the persistent exclusion of non-state actors from meaningful participation in global mega-events. As Walker and Groen argue in their article, “Access and Meaningful Participation of Non-State Actors in the UNFCCC Process: Path-Dependencies in the Era of ‘Mega-COPs’,” gaining access is not synonymous with meaningful engagement. The article highlights that, despite the rapid increase in non-state actor participation at the UNFCCC, the issue “remains a lightning rod for controversy due to the lack of representation from developing country non-state actors and the participation of fossil fuel lobbyists who seek to undermine the integrity of the process and weaken its outcomes.”
What are the specific goals of SOS Amazônia’s participation?
SOS Amazônia hopes to be located in the Green Zone, a space designed for public engagement and interaction, where diverse stakeholders can showcase their work and participate in discussions during COP 30.
The organization views this participation as an opportunity to foster dialogue, innovation, investment, and initiatives that strengthen the commitment to a socio-environmental approach, both at the national and international levels.
As a local civil society organization working directly in protected areas and with traditional communities, SOS Amazônia seeks to strategically present key challenges and propose solutions grounded in active listening to the needs and perspectives of these communities.
Additionally, the organization aims to build networks that advance the Amazonian agenda. It will also leverage this platform for brand building and resource mobilization.
What do the land and water peoples demand?
As stated in the Declaration of the Peoples of the Amazon for COP 30, the campaign “The answer is us”, supported by SOS Amazônia, demands:
“COP30 is taking place on our land, and for that reason, we demand full, dignified, permanent presence with real decision-making power. We refuse to be reduced to mere spectators in decisions that determine the fate of the forest, our bodies, and our lives without us.
We call for the recognition of the Amazon as a common good of humanity, but under the inalienable food and energy sovereignty of the peoples who live in and resist within it. Effective climate action means caring for both human and environmental health. We reject any attempt to turn the forest into a commodity, a soulless financial asset. Without the peoples, the forest dies. We defend the sociobioeconomy and a new economy, led by the territorial governance and management of local peoples, that protects the forest and guarantees human rights.
An immediate end to predatory exploitation. We will not accept mining, gold digging, agribusiness, land grabbing, green monocultures, or any form of devastation disguised as an “energy transition.” We demand the urgent dismantling of the fossil fuel industry and a just, popular, and sovereign transition that respects our territories, values our knowledge, and places life above profit. The Amazon refuses to become a new frontier for oil and gas exploration.
Direct climate financing for the peoples of the forest and waters. The resources to save the planet must reach those who defend it and are most affected—without intermediaries, without colonial bureaucracy, through direct transfers to their own funds and mechanisms. We are not passive recipients; we are active protagonists of climate solutions rooted in the territories.
An end to violence against our bodies and territories. Enough blood has been shed for the advance of capital. The Brazilian State is responsible for its omission in the face of the murder of leaders, the persecution of forest defenders, and the rise of armed militias. We must end impunity. We demand accountability and immediate, comprehensive protection for those who protect life. Defending the defenders is a non-negotiable condition of any climate policy that claims to be just.”
Text: Natália Juliano
Sources:
COP30 Belém. (2025). What is the COP? https://cop30.br/en/about-cop30/what-is-the-cop
United Nations. (n.d.). United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3–14 June 1992. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992
Fioravanti, C. (2022). Rio 92 consolidated environmental concepts. https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/rio-92-consolidated-environmental-concepts/
United Nations News. (2025). COP30: Conferência no Brasil quer garantir protagonismo de indígenas e comunidades tradicionais. https://news.un.org/pt/story/2025/04/1847766
WWF Brasil. (2024). Indigenous leaders launch the Indigenous Peoples’ Troika at COP 29 to strengthen global participation in climate negotiations. https://www.wwf.org.br/?90260/Indigenous-Leaders-Launch-the-Indigenous-Peoples-Troika-at-COP-29-to-Strengthen-Global-Participation-in-Climate-Negotiations
SOS Amazônia. (2025). Declaração do Mutirão dos Povos da Amazônia para a COP 30. https://sosamazonia.org.br/tpost/ehhyxkon61-declarao-do-mutiro-dos-povos-da-amaznia
Walker, H., & Groen, L. (2025). Access and meaningful participation of non-state actors in the UNFCCC process: Path-dependencies in the era of ‘mega-COPs.’ Climate Policy, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2531096