Caribbean Regional Knowledge Exchange of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendent Peoples, and Local Communities

The Caribbean Regional Knowledge Exchange, held March 18–20, 2026, in Punta Gorda, Belize, brought together leaders, community representatives, and partners to focus on advancing land and territorial rights, expanding direct access to climate and conservation finance, and navigating opportunities and risks associated with carbon markets. 

The event was organized by the Julian Cho Society and the Toledo Alcaldes Association, with support from the Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative (CLARIFI) and the World Bank’s Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Emissions (EnABLE) Initiative. 

As noted in the opening by Pablo Mís (who leads EnABLE’s Technical Advisory Group and is executive director of the Julian Cho Society), the purpose of the exchange was not simply to revisit shared challenges but to begin to put forward more concrete proposals grounded in the Caribbean context. 

Participants articulated the need to build and position a regional coalition across Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendant and local communities; to define a shared regional agenda; and to advance direct, fit-for-purpose climate finance and enabling conditions. 

Key advocacy messages focus on the need for recognition (1) of rights as a foundation for participation in climate, conservation, and development processes; (2) of the “mega-diversity” of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean, incorporating blue and green ecosystems and biodiversity, governance systems, and cultural value; and (3) of the central role of Indigenous and ancestral systems in determining climate solutions and ensuring community well-being.