The principles and guidelines were developed to guide the implementation of the respective national action plans considering territorial protection measures, including legal protection and physical control of external interventions in the territories inhabited by these Peoples, and in neighboring areas.

The execution of the first phase turned out to be an enriching experience for the relevant institutions and actors due to the approach to the theme of these peoples who, in many cases, live and move in areas of the Amazonian borders, in more remote and isolated corners of the modern society; in addition to becoming a space for discussing about the situation of the PIACI, opening possibilities and opportunities for regional and cross-border cooperation on the subject.

Thus, it was decided that, in a new project proposal, the attention to the most vulnerable indigenous peoples who are mostly in border areas should be considered, also considering Art 32 of ILO Convention 169 on “Contacts and cooperation to across borders ”.

Indigenous Peoples in border regions of the Amazon

The Project “Indigenous Peoples in Border Regions of ACTO (2016-2018)” has been implemented by the ACTO’s Permanent Secretariat with IADB funds as a continuation of the Program “Strategic Framework to develop a Regional Agenda for Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact – PIACI”. Its main objective was to continue the elaboration process of standards, and its application, to protect their health and promote the use of traditional knowledge and practices for territorial management and its natural resources.

The project continued with information exchange dynamics among national institutions and the exchange of experiences among Member Countries. The following documents were produced: Guidelines for Health Surveillance for Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Region and the Guidelines for the Exchange of Traditional Knowledge among Indigenous Peoples in border regions for the sustainable management of biodiversity.

Components phase 1.

Program Strategic Framework for the development of a Regional Agenda for the Protection of PIACI

Component 1: Inter-institutional coordination

Component 2: Physical and cultural integrity protection

Component 3: Territorial and legal protection

Component 4: Regional strategy for health

Component 5: Systematization, training, awareness, and dissemination

Components phase 2.

Indigenous Peoples in border regions of the Amazon

Component 1: Development of standards to protect the health of indigenous peoples in the border regions.

Component 2: Promotion and exchange of mechanisms for the use of traditional knowledge of indigenous communities in the bi-national and tri-national borders as a basis for the development of sustainable management plans for these areas.

Strategic partners

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)