Lima, October 20 (RHC-Andina) -– More than 40 representatives of the Regional Indigenous Peoples Organization of the East (ORPIO) and the Confederation of Amazonian Nationalities of Peru (CONAP) gathered in the city of Iquitos, Loreto region to get information and prepare local proposals to COP20.

The gathering was part of the first training workshop called “Preparatory regional workshops to COP20: Challenges and proposals of Amazonian indigenous peoples” held from Oct. 14-16 in preparation for the upcoming COP20 Climate Change Summit to be held in Lima, Peru.

The goal of this workshop was to develop skills in the indigenous leaders on climate change and the process of COP20, as well as socializing and promoting indigenous Amazonian proposals to be submitted on the official agenda of the meeting of parties on climate change.

The meeting was also intended to facilitate the presence of the 18 regional representatives at COP20 from December 1st through the 12th in Lima. The event organized by the “Indigenous Pavilion “technical team, was attended by AIDESEP, CONAP, COICA and MINAM who shared ideas on the climate crisis and the united nations convention on climate change.

Attendees came from different communities in the Putumayo, Napo, Tigre and Amazon basins. Henderson Rengifo (AIDESEP), Jorge Pérez (ORPIO), Claudia Galvez (MINAM), Juan Arikari (CONAP), Sandi Robinson (FEPIBAC) welcomed and opened the ceremony.

Claudia Galvez of MINAM noted it is the first time in the history of the COP, that there is a real and effective presence of indigenous peoples in the negotiation process, being the conservation of forests the main theme to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In addition, Pliny Pizango and Victor Hugo Sánchez, of AIDESEP-COICA and CONAP, respectively, stated that it is very important to collect contributions from their own communities.