ICA is headed to Bonn for the SB62

As one of the only national Indigenous-led climate justice organizations within so-called Canada, Indigenous Climate Action’s (ICA) participation in international climate conversations and processes is vital for advancing our work and supporting the communities we serve. This week, ICA will be on the ground for the 62nd Bonn Intersessional, or SB62, working alongside the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) and supporting their efforts in affirming the inherent, distinct, collective rights to our lands, territories and knowledge as crucial for achieving effective climate action. 

“We must be clear - Indigenous Peoples’ attendance is NOT consent.”

As we have stated in a previous blog on the UNFCCC, “We must be clear - Indigenous Peoples’ attendance is NOT consent.” ICA does not enter these spaces to endorse the colonial systems that have caused the climate crisis, but rather to push back on those systems. We attend to advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples, defend our sovereignty, and protect future generations’ right to a healthy planet. Our goal is to centre Indigenous ways of knowing and sovereignty in these global climate discussions - without compromise. 

This year, ICA will show up for the IIPFCC and continue to support their engagement on key issues such as Article 6, Loss and Damage, Just Transition, sustainable agriculture, direct and equitable access to climate finance including dedicated mechanism, adaptation, and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems and rights safeguards.

Image from CAN-International

The IIPFCC Opening Statement on the ground in Bonn made it clear,  “these strategies are not real solutions, nor do they represent a ‘Just Transition.’” (IIPFCC, June 17, 2025)

At this year’s Bonn Intersessional opening plenary, the IIPFCC called for an end to genocide, militarism and resource colonization led by the collusion between States, technology and mining companies, and private and financial interests. Indigenous Peoples emphasized the need to protect all human rights and environmental rights defenders, as well as the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact. Additionally, we continue to demand for dedicated mechanisms that ensure our full and effective participation – including that of our youth, women, and Elders – in all decision-making processes, now, at COP30 and beyond.

What is the “Bonn Intersessional”? 

The Bonn Intersessional, sometimes referred to as the Bonn Climate Change Conference, is an annual gathering of the Subsidiary Bodies within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The annual meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies takes place between the bigger climate conferences known as the Conference of the Parties (COP), which happen at the end of each year.

Subsidiary Bodies (SB) are smaller groups established to assist a larger body in its functions. In the case of the United Nations, the UNFCCC is a larger body that has tasked two smaller groups, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), to meet and work on key areas within the larger UNFCCC body. 

Image from UN Climate Change on YouTube

The job of the SBTA and SBI is to help the main UN climate conference (COP) by offering advice, tracking progress, and helping countries follow through on their climate promises. At Bonn, people discuss what’s working, what’s not, and what needs more attention. It’s also a place to plan next steps, reach agreement on key issues, and write draft texts that might be officially approved at the next COP. 

Even though the main purpose of the Bonn Intersessional is to hold technical meetings, it has grown to gather multiple Parties, organizations, observers, and representatives, becoming a hub for other technical bodies and workstreams under the UNFCCC, as well as for observers, rights-holders, and stakeholders. 

Even before the official event begins, many people gather for a pre-sessional where facilitative working groups (FWGs), supervisory bodies, constituted bodies, global dialogues, and executive boards hold meetings and events. For example, during the “pre-sessional” week, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIFPCC) and the Facilitative Working Group (FWG) of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) gathered to develop their activities, discuss, share knowledge and experiences, and ultimately advance collective efforts towards achieving climate goals, ambitions, and commitments.  

During the official event, the sessions of the subsidiary bodies take place, carried by negotiations held each morning and afternoon based on predetermined agenda items. In addition to these sessions, there are various side events such as workshops, roundtables, capacity-building activities, presentations, reports and budget discussions, global dialogues, expert group meetings, and more.

Why is Indigenous participation at the Bonn Intersessional Important? 

Despite the commitment from States to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, many continue to increase and expand extractive industries. In these international spaces we see these States promoting so-called “Green” energy development and bypassing the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Indigenous peoples across the world. 

Indigenous peoples across the globe have been advocating for their rightful place as active participants in international climate decision-making spaces for decades. However, they are often met with institutional resistance, as these colonial multilateral bodies prioritize their own self-preservation and routines over meaningful change and real progress. This reproduction of so-called “efforts” — often in the form of policies presented as “climate solutions” — infringes on the rights of Indigenous peoples and harms our land in the process. 

Combined with the exclusion from decision-making tables, this reinforces colonial dynamics of marginalization that leaves Indigenous peoples with increased vulnerability to the impacts of the climate crisis.  

“The evidence is clear that our knowledge and stewardship is crucial for a path forward. This moment is a powerful opportunity to continue to push for a shift from Indigenous participation to Indigenous leadership.”

It may seem as though UN meetings and activities are not connected to what is happening in our communities at home. However, the outcomes of the negotiations, and the demands of Indigenous Peoples have direct impacts on national and regional policies that impact our rights, lands and territories at home. Bonn is another mechanism for us to continue to push forward for a just future. In these kinds of spaces that are dominated by colonial governments and institutions, it’s essential for Indigenous Peoples not only to be present, but actively asserting our demands. 

With the next COP being hosted in Brazil, the need for Indigenous participation is absolutely crucial in this Bonn Intersessional. As Indigenous peoples, we know that we are the stewards of the land, having 80% of the world’s biodiversity in our lands and territories. The evidence is clear that our knowledge and stewardship is crucial for a path forward. This moment is a powerful opportunity to continue to push for a shift from Indigenous participation to Indigenous leadership.

We are not here to ask for permission but to demand recognition of what we already know is true - colonialism causes climate change and Indigenous peoples are the solution.