UN Nature Summit agrees on Body for Indigenous Representation

The world's biggest nature protection conference agreed in Cali, Colombia on Friday to create a permanent body to represent the interests of Indigenous people under the UN's biodiversity convention.

Representatives of Indigenous peoples, many in traditional dress and headgear, broke out in cheers and chants as 196 countries agreed on a "subsidiary body" dedicated to "matters of relevance to Indigenous peoples and local communities."

It was the first major breakthrough for the 16th Conference of Parties to the UN's Convention on Biodiversity, which opened in Cali nearly two weeks ago and went deep into extra time Friday as delegates clashed on ways to raise funding for plans to preserve nature.