BRICS+ offers Indigenous & local communities ways to advance environmental and social goals (analysis)

These barriers include one-size-fits-all legal frameworks, insufficient representation, inadequate capacity within IPLC groups, misaligned priorities between donors and IPLCs, persistent language obstacles, trust issues, and the continued influence of powerful global actors whose priorities often overshadow the needs and knowledge systems of IPLCs. However, as the geopolitical landscape shifts, new opportunities are emerging for IPLCs to assert their influence.

One such alternative is the BRICS+ alliance, a coalition that has increasingly positioned itself as a counterbalance to Western-dominated global governance structures. The 10 BRICS+ nations (Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates) account for half the world’s population and two-fifths of trade, and include major energy producers and importers.

Twelve more nations have applied, and the bloc is starting to build institutions with important implications for energy trade, international finance, supply chains and technological research. For IPLCs, BRICS+ presents a promising advocacy and trade platform for several reasons. The BRICS framework’s emphasis on multipolar governance aligns well with IPLC desire for more decentralized, locally driven approaches to natural resource management.

It offers them an opportunity...This article was originally published on Mongabay