THE RIGHT TO EXIST
- GTI PIACI
- Oct 1, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 29, 2024

In the crucial context of the COP16 on Biodiversity, the International Working Group for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI) extends a heartfelt invitation to organizations around the world to join our voice in defense of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI). Sign this petition and let's work together to ensure that governments include PIACI in their National Strategies and Action Plans on Biodiversity.
The organizations' signatures are vital to guarantee the survival and rights of these threatened peoples.
A call for the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
The International Working Group for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (GTI-PIACI, acronym in Spanish), as a collaborative initiative of 21 indigenous and allied organizations from South America, addresses the heads of state and civil society in general present at COP16 and urges them to recognize the existence of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI, acronym in Spanish) in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Suriname. This recognition is the first step in promoting the fundamental rights of these peoples, guaranteeing their self-determination and territories, in essence the Right to Exist as subjects of rights.
In eight South American countries, the GTI-PIACI counts a total of 189 records of Indigenous Peoples in isolation. Of this total, 128 records have not yet been recognized by the States and, therefore, are exposed to all kinds of vulnerabilities and lack of protection measures.
At this time when we are gathered at the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP 16 / COP-MOP 11 / NP-MOP 5), it is urgent to remember that Indigenous Peoples in Isolation (PIA, acronym in Spanish) are the last guardians of the planet who establish an intrinsic, interdependent and harmonious relationship with biodiversity in its fullest sense. They are Indigenous Peoples, groups or parts of groups that have chosen not to establish permanent and/or continuous relationships with the surrounding society. The PIA survive exclusively on the material and immaterial resources existing in the environment, a fact that leads them to achieve standards of living compatible with the maintenance of biological diversity.
Indigenous Peoples in Initial Contact (PIACI, acronym in Spanish) are peoples who lived in isolation and, due to external factors or their own decision, came into contact with the majority population. The guarantee of their rights is based on differential approaches that take into account their situation of vulnerability.
The GTI-PIACI and all the indigenous, environmental, indigenist organizations and rights-based NGOs that sign this Letter (THE RIGHT TO EXIST) urge that States consider the protection of the PIACI and their territories under the most guaranteed categories of protection in their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, in accordance with the commitments to advance in these normative instruments assumed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of December 2022 (CBD/COP/15/L.25).
The recognition, defense and constitution of territories for PIACI is fundamental to guarantee the ways of life of these peoples, the conservation of extensive standing forests, biodiversity, as well as for the climatic balance of planet Earth and the quality of life of all its inhabitants. It is up to the States to recognize the condition of isolation and initial contact of the PIACI as a prerogative of their self-determination. This recognition implies the implementation of the international normative frameworks of protection already established, including the integral and intangible definition of their territories.
The Convention on Biological Diversity states: “in accordance with national legislation, (the Convention) shall respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities having lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wide application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the sharing of the benefits arising from such knowledge, innovations and practices” (article 8 j). Thus, biological diversity is not simply a concept that belongs to the natural world. It is also a cultural and social construct, especially for the PIACI who have been in harmony with it for hundreds of years.
Article 10 c of the Convention requires each Party to “protect and encourage traditional use of biological resources in accordance with cultural practices compatible with conservation or sustainable use requirements” and “support local populations to develop and implement restoration actions in degraded areas where biological diversity has been reduced”. (Article 10 d)
Article 17 also recommends that Parties encourage the exchange of information on the knowledge of traditional communities and Article 18 urges the development of cooperative methods for the development of technologies, including traditional and indigenous technologies.
We recommend that States and private law initiatives, whether for profit or not-for-profit:
Recognize the existence of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation in all countries with records of these peoples in South America, having as guiding principles no contact, prevention and the intangibility of their territories.
Initiate processes for the participatory formulation of protection policies for Indigenous Peoples in Initial Contact Situations, which consider in all cases their situation of special vulnerability in the face of contact.
Identify and recognize traditional territories or territories with the presence of PIACI, as established in Article 26 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), guaranteeing collective ownership, security, legal intangibility and conservation of these territories in accordance with international human rights standards on Indigenous Peoples, consulting and implementing with them intercultural models of protection, monitoring, surveillance and territorial control in these areas.
Suspend existing development activities and not authorize future ones in their ancestral territories. Respect the fact that, in the case of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, their non-consent is presumed in the face of any type of activity that intrudes into their territory. Apply the presumption of superiority of the interest in the protection of the physical and cultural survival of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation in the analysis, interpretation and harmonization with other rights and interests.
Reaffirm our commitment to adopt specific legislation for the protection of PICI with the consultation, consent and participation of Indigenous Peoples, as established in Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007).
Establish international coordination actions in border areas with the presence of PIACI to articulate effective territorial protection mechanisms, in consultation and with the consent of neighboring Indigenous Peoples. Guarantee territorial connectivity corridors in order to safeguard their ancestral territories, guarantee their well-being and preserve their traditional way of life across borders.
Establish health control barriers and ensure that the health of the Indigenous populations and populations neighboring PIACI territories is guaranteed. Due to the situation of particular vulnerability to contact of peoples in isolation, include a buffer zone for prevention and containment, as well as establish health cordons and other surveillance and epidemiological care measures for the benefit of the neighboring population.
Safeguard the rights of Environmental Defenders and the rights of Indigenous Peoples, implementing public policies that prevent attacks against them and that guarantee accountability in this regard.
Ratify and give effective implementation to the Escazú Protocol.
We remain at your disposal to provide all necessary support, both from the GTI-PIACI and from our network of allies, for the implementation of these recommendations. We are committed to collaborating in whatever is necessary to ensure the success of this project.
Don't let their future fade away! Sign now and be part of the change.
Meet the signatory organisations
Member organisations of the GTI - PIACI
Asociación Interétnica de desarrollo de la Selva Peruana - AIDESEP
Amazon Conservation Team - ACT
Centro de Estudios Jurídicos e Investigación Social - CEJIS
Central de Comunidades Indígena Tacana II del Río Madre de Dios - CITRMD
Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira - COIAB
Consejo Machiguenga del Río Urubamba - COMARU
Centro de Trabalho Indigenista - CTI
Equipe de Apoio aos Povos Indígenas Livres - EAPIL/CIMI
Federación Nativa del Río Madre de Dios y Afluentes - FENAMAD
Fondo Ecuatoriano Populorum Progressio - FEPP
Iniciativa Amotocodie - IA
Land Is Life - LIL
Organization of Indigenous People of Suriname - OIS
Observatório dos Direitos Humanos dos Povos Indígenas Isolados e de Recente Contato - OPI
Organización de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonia Colombiana - OPIAC
Organización Payipie Ichadie Totobiegosode - OPIT
Organización Regional Aidesep Ucayali - ORAU
Organización Regional De Pueblos Indígenas De Amazonas - ORPIA
Organización Regional de Pueblos Indígenas del Oriente - ORPIO
Grupo de Trabajo Socioambiental de la Amazonía - Wataniba
Allies and partners organizations
Action For Forest
Agencia Internacional de Prensa Indígena - AIPIN
Alianza Amazónica para la Reducción de los Impactos de la Minería de Oro - AARIMO
Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques - AMPB
Alianza Noramazónica - ANA
ARCADUDA Vive
Articulação das mulheres indígenas do oeste de Santa Catarina - Terra indígena Toldo Imbu
Articulação dos Povos e Organizações Indígenas do Nordeste, Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo - APOINME
Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil - APIB
Asociación de Autoridades Indígenas de la Zona de Puerto Arica
Asociación de Comunidades Nativas de Masisea y Calleria - ACONAMAC
Asociación de los pueblos Okmoyana, Kararayana y Xowyana del río Jatapu - AYMARA
Asociación de Mujeres Afro y Desplazadas Edificando Redes - ASOMADERE
Asociación de Profesionales de Trabajo Social del Paraguay Filial Concepción
Asociación Integral de Productoras y Productores Ecológicos Sumaj Amparita
Asociación Kukama Bajo Nauta - FEPYBABAN
Asociación Kukama Bajo Nauta de Pueblos interregionales del Perú - AKUBANA - PIP
Asociación Mujeres Waorani de la Amazonía Ecuatoriana - AMWAE
Asociación para los Pueblos Amenazados - APA
Asociación Pro Purús - Propurus
Associação Ayrumã
Associação Cooperativa de Idéias e Soluções para o EcoDesenvolvimento - ECOOTOPIA
Associação da Comunidade Indigena Kariri Sapuyá de Santa Rosa
Associação dos Povos Indígenas do Rio Humaitá - ASPIRH
Associação dos Produtores Rurais da Comunidade de Morada Nova - APROMOVA
Associação Multiétnica Wyka Kwara
Aty Guasu
Autônoma Brasil
Canal @abyayala473 de Comunicação
CantoRodado
Centro Amazônico de Defesa, Estudo e Pesquisa Indígena - CADEPI
Centro de Investigación, Diseño Artesanal y Cooperativa - CIDAC
Centro de Orientación y Defensa de Derechos Humanos Bolivia
Centro de Políticas Públicas y Derechos Humanos - Perú Equidad
Centro por los Derechos Indígenas y la Justicia Ambiental - CIREJ
Climate and Land Use Alliance -CLUA
Colectivo de Trabajo Jenzera
Colegio Técnico Agropecuario San Juan, Paraguay
Coletivo de mulheres As Mariamas
Colmena Lab
Comissão Pró Indígenas do Acre - CPI-Acre
Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador - CONAIE
Consejo Comunitario de Comunidades Negras de La Cuenca del Río Acandí Seco, El Cedro y El Juancho – COCOMASECO
Consejo Indigena del Bajo Madre de Dios - COINBAMAD
Conselho Indígena Kukama da Amazônia ŸTKA
Conselho Wayamu
Cooperativa de Produtores e Agroindústria de Tatuaia
Coordinadora Regional de Pueblos Indígenas AIDESEP - CORPIAA
Defensoria Pública da União - DPU
Departamento de Antropologia e Arqueologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG
Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales - DAR
Derechos Ambientales y Recursos
EarthRights International
Faculdade de medicina da Universidade de São Paulo - FMUSP
Federación de Ayllus Originarios Indígenas del Norte de Potosí - FAOI-NP
Federacion de Comunidades del Distrito de Jenaro Herrera - FECODIJEH
Federación de Comunidades del río Tapiche y Blanco - FECORITAYB
Federación de Comunidades Indígenas del Río Pisqui - FECOIRP
Federación de Comunidades Nativas de la Provincia de Puerto Inca - FECONAPIA
Federación de Comunidades Nativas de la Provincia de Requena - FECONAPRE
Federación de Comunidades Nativas del Bajo Ucayali - FECONUB
Federación de Comunidades Nativas para el Desarrollo Integral del Yurua - Yono Sharakoiai - ACONADIYSH
Federación de Comunidades nativas para el Desarrollo Integral del Yurua a Provincia de Purus - FECONAPU
Federación de Comunidades Nativas Ticuna del Bajo Amazonas - FECOTIBA
Federación de Comunidades Ticuna y Yagua - FECOTYBA
Federación de mujeres indígenas de la provincia de Huanca Sancos - Ayacucho
Federación Indigena Alto Río Inuya y Mapuya - FIARIM
Federaciones de Comunidades Nativas del río Ucayali y Afluentes - FECONAU
Federaciones de las Comunidades Indígenas del Distrito de Padre Marquez - FECIDPAM
Frente em defesa do Rio Branco
Friends of the Earth US
Fundación Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular - CINEP
Fundacion de Kambak
Fundación Entropika Colombia
Fundación Nacional del Indio - FUNAI
Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo Sostenible - FCDS Perú
Gordon y Betty Moore Foundation
Grupo de Pesquisa Povos Indígenas e Política Global - PUC-Rio
Grupo de Trabalho Amazônico Alto Solimões - GTA Alto Solimões
Grupo Intercultural Almáciga
Guardianas Alemania
Imagen Colectiva & Asoc
Impronta Comunicaciones
Instituto Aldeias (Brasil)
Instituto Anima de Cultura e Desenvolvimento Sustentavel
Instituto de Defensa Legal - IDL
Instituto de Pesquisa e Formação Indigena - IEPE
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Roraima - IFRR do Rio Branco
Instituto para el Futuro Común Amerindio - IFCA
Instituto para el Futuro Común Amerindio Colombia - IFCAAIZA
Instituto Socioambiental - ISA
Instituto Sociedade Populacao e Naturaleza - ISPN
Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia - IPAM
International Rivers Brasil
International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - IWGIA
Juntanza Ambiental Nacional
Key Group Advisors SAS
Kusikuna e.V. (Alemania)
Latinoamérica Sustentable
Madani Foundation for Development
MAPPHA
Museo Artecampo: Arte Originario y Popular de las Tierras Bajas
Nacionalidad Waorani del Ecuador - NAWE
Observatório Interinstitucional em Cibercultura e os Povos Indígenas
Organização das Mulheres Xokleng Zág Pil
Organização indígenas quatro penas de Apuí - OIQPA
Organización ARCADUDA
Organización de apoyo legal y social - ORÉ
Organización de Mujeres Indígenas de Autana - OMIDA
Organizacion General Mayoruna - OGM
Organización Matsés
Povo Borum-kren do Brasil
Povo Potiguara Sagi Jacu em Baía Formosa /RN
Proética-Capítulo Peruano de Transparencia Internacional
Programa Pueblos Indígenas en Estado Natural - PIEN
Pueblo Ancestral Kichwa de Sarayaku - Kawsak Sacha
Pueblo Ancestral Kichwa Kasak Sacha
Quipa Collective
Rainforest Foundation Norway - RFN
Rainforest Foundation US - RFUS
Re:wild
Red Amazónica de Información Socioambiental Georreferenciada - RAISG
Rede de Cooperação Amazônica - RCA
Rede Xingu+
S.I.U.C/Nordeste do Brasil
Saririnaka -Bolivia
Sociedad Colombiana de Etnobiología - SCE
Sociedad Zoológica de Frankfurt - Colombia - FZS
Sociedad Zoológica de Frankfurt - Perú - FZS
Somos Sur Bolivia
Tejido de Cultura Viva Comunitaria, Regional La Paz-Bolivia
Tuparyk
Unión de Pueblos Indígenas del Javari - UNIVAJA
Unip união dos povos indígenas de médio Solimões- Amazonas Brasil
Universidad de los Andes Colombia
Universidad Politécnica Salesiana del Ecuador - UPS
Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira - UTP
Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina
Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG
Universidade Federal do Pará
Waponi Amazon
Personal signatures
Alba Rocío Simaluisa
Analu Marques
Andreia Ferreira Soares
Antenor Vaz
Blanche Piponiot
Carmen Gil Vrolijk
Carolina Klaas
Catalina Álvarez
Daniel Aristizabal
Delvair Montagner
Eduardo Massa de Mendonça
Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño (Ex relatora para los derechos de los pueblos indigenas /CIDH)
Esperanza Leal Gómez
Eulina Magalhães Caetano
Fernando Augusto Batista
Genaro Bautista
German Mejia
Giovanina Morffe Wataniba
Ignacio Senín Fernández
Irene Lema
Jessica Holles
José Colares Junior
Lina Valencia
Luiz Tolentino
Marcelo Marques Ferreira
Marcelo dos Santos
Maria Alice
Mayra Elmalan
Miguel Vargas
Patricia Bruzzi
Patricia Vasconcelos Boavista da Cunha
Uitisi Tecoa Pindo
Vanessa Braham
Yrvis Méndez
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