The meeting brings together government authorities and Amazonian Indigenous organizations from Colombia in Bogotá with the aim of strengthening the Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (MAPI) and exchanging experiences regarding Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI).
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), the Government of Colombia, and the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC) launched this Tuesday, May 26, in Bogotá, the “National Meeting of Colombia: Exchange of Experiences on the ACTO Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Mechanism, with an Emphasis on Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI),” a space for dialogue and exchange focused on strengthening Indigenous governance and fostering coordination between Amazonian States and Indigenous Peoples.
The meeting is being held at the San Carlos Palace, headquarters of Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is part of the implementation process of the Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (MAPI), approved by the member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) during the III Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Bogotá in 2025.
The initiative also includes the participation of the Secretariat of the National Commission for the Prevention and Protection of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation or in a Natural State (CPIAEN).
MAPI is a regional platform for political dialogue between Amazonian States and Indigenous Peoples on issues related to biodiversity, climate change, collective rights, territorial protection, and traditional knowledge systems.
One of the meeting’s main topics is the strengthening of the Thematic Working Group on Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI), created during the First Extraordinary Meeting of MAPI, held in April 2026 in Brasília, with Colombia serving as the regional lead.
The meeting includes spaces for dialogue and exchange on guidelines and priorities related to MAPI, as well as discussions on biodiversity, climate change, knowledge systems, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
During the event, presentations on MAPI, open dialogues, and collective working sessions are being held to define strategic actions for the comprehensive protection of PIACI, who are considered fundamental to the cultural and biological diversity of the Amazon.
This event is carried out within the framework of the grant “Indigenous Roots for Amazonian Governance (RAIGA)” under the Amazonia+ Program, funded by the European Union, with technical support from Expertise France.
Participants include representatives of the Colombian government and Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon, as well as representatives from Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge, the SINCHI Institute, Colombia’s National Natural Parks, Corpoamazonia, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Ombudsman’s Office.
Representatives from the Amazonia+ Program, the Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), the International Working Group for the Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (GIT-PIACI), and other organizations linked to the regional Amazon agenda are also participating.
About ACTO
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) is an intergovernmental organization composed of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, created to promote regional cooperation, sustainable development, and the conservation of the Amazon.
About OPIAC
The National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC) represents the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon and works to defend their rights, territories, cultures, and knowledge systems, promoting their participation in national and international decision-making forums concerning the Amazon.
About CPIAEN
The Secretariat of the National Commission for the Prevention and Protection of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation or in a Natural State (CPIAEN) is a Colombian state body responsible for coordinating actions aimed at preventing violations and protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI), promoting comprehensive protection measures, non-contact policies, and territorial safeguards.
