Inuit Delegation Joins Indigenous Constituency on COP29 Outcome: Unacceptable That Indigenous Rights Not Upheld

November 26, 2024— The Inuit Circumpolar Council delegation worked alongside other members of the Indigenous Peoples’ Constituency into the early hours of Sunday morning to continue to push for human rights and Indigenous Peoples’ rights to be part of the agreements of COP29.

Over the course of the two weeks at COP, Inuit Circumpolar Council leadership, delegates, and staff worked hard to bring the concerns and priorities of Inuit to the international climate change negotiations. The Inuit delegation continually highlighted the positions outlined in ICC’s position paper, including the obligation of Parties to produce climate policies and solutions that uphold human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The outcomes approved early Sunday morning were a severe disappointment, as the final text approved on the NCQG removed all language on human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. ICC contributed to the closing statement of the Indigenous Peoples’ Constituency decrying this as unacceptable.

ICC Chair, Sara Olsvig states, “The delay tactics and dysfunction displayed at COP29 cannot set a new standard for climate negotiations. Some parties cited geopolitical instability as a reason for not stepping up their climate finance commitments. This is deeply concerning, as climate change does not recognize borders or take into account politics, economics, or geopolitical situations. Decisions made by world leaders at COP29 will result in a continued burden, including financial cost, of adaptation and mitigation to drastic and irreparable climate change on the shoulders of Inuit and Indigenous Peoples globally. World leaders must uphold their responsibilities and repair the dysfunction before COP30 next year.”

Not only was the financing agreed to by parties insufficient, but the text is also vague with regards to direct and equitable access for all Indigenous Peoples, continuing the false dichotomy of “developed” and “developing” countries, excluding Indigenous Peoples in the “global north” from accessing the climate finance agreed to in the NCQG. A lack of agreement on next steps from the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake that took place last year seemed to be a step backwards, with no further wording on operationalizing the phase out of fossil fuels in any approved text.

“The decision on the NCQG means that Inuit and other Arctic Indigenous Peoples will continue to face barriers in accessing climate finance. This is unacceptable. This year, for the first time, the world will be 1.5 degrees warmer on average than pre-industrial temperatures, and the Arctic is warming almost four times faster than the rest of the planet. Across Inuit Nunaat we see communities evacuated due to flooding, ice thinning, permafrost thawing, and coastlines eroding.

We are seeing Inuit ways of life, languages, cultures, access to food, homes and infrastructure disrupted by climate change,” said Vice Chair Lisa Koperqualuk.

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