The signing of the agreement took place on May 31, 2022, at the offices of Conservation International. Shuar Velásquez Ruiz, president of CCPIP, and Luis Espinel Cuba, vice president of Conservation International in Peru, signed the agreement.
A priority theme for Conservation International’s work is closer collaboration with indigenous peoples and local communities to conserve the Amazon, mitigate the effects of climate change, and create opportunities for sustainable development with a direct impact on the well-being of local populations.
“In this effort to work towards the sustainable development of the Amazon, we are aware that we should not only focus on protected areas but also on broader and more productive areas, and for that, collaboration with indigenous peoples is key. With the signing of this agreement, we can support various indigenous businesses and initiatives, facilitating and energizing sustainable initiatives in the Amazon,”
On its part, the Chamber aims to empower and support indigenous peoples of the Amazon in market economy and business opportunity generation while preserving their ancestral values. In this regard, it gathers indigenous commercial enterprises and productive associations, providing them with technical and academic support, advocating for their economic rights, and forming alliances with strategic sectors to engage in sustainable business partnerships.
"This approach is going to be extremely fruitful, as both organizations share common goals: identifying and enhancing opportunities for sustainable development. We will seek to coordinate efforts to strengthen indigenous businesses, empowering them economically and formalizing new ventures, always conveying a message of development based on ancestral wisdom," added Shuar Velásquez.
The signing of this agreement marks the starting point to find synergies between both organizations and build a joint work plan. This agreement is within the framework of the Amazon Business Alliance, led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Canada, and Conservation International. This platform promotes economic development based on the sustainable use of natural resources to improve the quality of life of Amazonian communities that conserve forests and to mitigate the impacts of climate change. To achieve this, the Alliance supports various initiatives in the Amazon, works with local and indigenous communities, investors, public officials, corporate partners, and civil society organizations to create the necessary conditions for green investments to flourish, with a foundation on interculturality, gender, and rights-based approaches.
About CCPIP:
It is a national organization focused on promoting economic opportunities with indigenous peoples in Peru based on their ancestral values of relationship, redistribution, reciprocity, and responsibility, while preserving their cultural identity. The Chamber gathers indigenous commercial enterprises and productive associations and provides them with technical and academic support, defends their economic rights, and forms alliances with strategic sectors for the development of sustainable businesses.
About Conservation International:
It is a nonprofit international organization focused on protecting nature for the benefit of humanity. Founded in 1987, it currently has offices in 30 countries and undertakes projects in over 100 countries worldwide. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and financing, it supports the protection of nature’s most important places for climate, biodiversity, and people. In Peru, it has been working since 1989 to conserve and promote the sustainable development of the Peruvian Amazon. Conservation International partners with indigenous peoples, local communities, governments, businesses, and civil society to help people and nature thrive together.
