The Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (MAPI) is the space for permanent and strategic dialogue established within the framework of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) to ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in the governance and decisions regarding the future of the Amazon region.
MAPI is a historic instrument, established in compliance with the mandates of the IV ACTO Presidential Summit (Belém Declaration, 2023) and formalized by Resolution RES/EXT-III/MRE-OTCA/17 (V Presidential Summit, Bogotá, 2025).
Its central objective is to strengthen and promote dialogue between the governments of the eight Member Countries and the representative organizations of the Amazonian Indigenous Peoples, ensuring that their voices and knowledge are integrated into the implementation of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT).
Foundations and Principles
The Mechanism is based on respect for collective rights, in accordance with international law, including:
- ILO Convention No. 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- The Right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
- Recognition of the fundamental role of Indigenous Peoples in the protection and conservation of the Amazonian biome.
- Prioritizing the protection of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI) and the principle of non-contact.
Structure and functioning
- Composition: MAPI is composed of Government delegates and Indigenous delegates from the eight ACTO Member Countries, ensuring equitable representation and respecting the governance structures of each people.
- Leadership: It has a rotating Co-Presidency lasting one year, formed by one government delegate and one Indigenous delegate.
- Meetings: It holds ordinary annual meetings and extraordinary meetings when necessary, working by consensus to reach agreements.
Articulation and action
MAPI guarantees Indigenous participation in ACTO instances and has the following main functions:
- Develop Work Plans and create dialogue tables on specific topics.
- Issue reports and recommendations to the Amazon Cooperation Council Coordination Commission (CCOOR).
- Propose urgent actions to address threats such as deforestation, illegal mining, and other illicit activities.
- Promote the conservation, revitalization, and transmission of Amazonian Indigenous languages.
- Contribute technical information and alerts to the Indigenous Peoples Module of the ACTO Amazon Regional Observatory (ORA).
Future perspective
MAPI represents ACTO’s commitment to strengthening the institutional framework and governance that integrates ancestral knowledge and modern science for the sustainable development of the Amazon.
The Mechanism will continue to promote joint actions between governments and Indigenous Peoples to prevent the Amazon from reaching its point of no return and to guarantee the rights, culture, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples in the region.
