Countries had increasingly turned to multilateral funds as a means to drive impactful change. These funds, created through collaborative efforts among multiple nations or organizations, had the potential to unleash massive amounts of resources to address pressing crises by supporting Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant Peoples who stewarded and valued the world’s primary forests. Despite their global commitments, these funds often struggled to deliver support swiftly enough to their intended recipients. As territorial funds proliferated within the climate finance ecosystem, a hybrid webinar was scheduled to examine the role of multilateral mechanisms in this evolving landscape.
As countries moved away from fossil fuels and the overconsumption of natural resources, communities were increasingly being forced to relinquish their land to make way for the green transition. Indigenous Peoples and local communities were questioning whether multilateral funders could keep up with the demand for direct access and fit-for-purpose funding. Additionally, could these multi-laterals adapt their systems to accommodate the diverse needs of communities on the frontlines, who governed vast territories of land with unique cultural inheritances? Amidst the crowded and complex global climate finance structure, how could multi-laterals engage with territorial funds? The discussion aimed to explore the role of multilateral funds in shaping a pertinent and influential place within the modern financing ecosystem and whether they could be held accountable to their promises.
PANELISTS
- Asyl Undeland, World Bank EnABLE
- Stephanie Speck, Green Climate Fund
- Maria Pia Hernandez, Mesoamerican Territorial Fund
- Kimaren Ole Riamit, Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners (ILEPA)
- Dr. Myrna Cunningham Kain, Pawanka Fund
- Angela Kaxuyana, Fundo Podaali
