ParlAmericas participated in Regional Workshop on Biodiversity and Traditional Ecological Knowledge
On March 13, a ParlAmericas delegation participated in a Regional Workshop on Biodiversity and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The workshop was co-organized by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Honduras and convened Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Holders, including Indigenous Peoples, civil society, parliamentarians and government stakeholders from across Central America to exchange good practices and lessons learned for collaboration on biodiversity conservation.
Member of Congress and former Minister of Women and Vulnerable Populations Ana María Choquehuanca (Peru), represented ParlAmericas as a panellist in two sessions on the lessons learned by working with TEK holders to conserve forest biodiversity and on how parliamentarians can help TEK holders to better participate in decision-making. Ms. Choquehuanca shared Peru’s experience on community based co-management of protected areas, and reflected on how parliamentarians can work with TEK holders to create inclusive and holistic legislation. “Indigenous peoples possess knowledge that can positively contribute to the management of forests, thereby making it necessary to empower indigenous peoples and give greater value to their skills and ancestral knowledge during the development of forest management policies and legislation,” stated Ms. Choquehuanca.
ParlAmericas was also represented by Member of Congress Teresa Cálix (Honduras) who contributed as a moderator during the workshop’s break out session on opportunities and challenges for achieving collaborative working relationships between governments, professional experts and TEK holders to conserve and protect biodiversity.
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