18 November 2009: Robert Zoellick, World Bank President, stated that indigenous peoples carry a “disproportionate share of the burden of climate change effects” during a roundtable on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change, organized by the World Bank and First Peoples Worldwide, in Washington DC, US.

The event brought together indigenous peoples representatives from around the world as well as non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and bilateral and international organizations to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and create synergies to map the way forward for an Indigenous Peoples Climate Action Fund (IPCAF). The IPCAF will be managed and implemented by First Peoples Worldwide, with the World Bank playing an advisory role, and aims to provide funds to: document indigenous peoples’ responses to climate change; integrate local indigenous knowledge on climate change adaptation and mitigation into project designs and implementation; and strengthen the capacity of indigenous peoples’ communities to influence decision making and engage in dialogue on climate change at the national and international levels. [World Bank Press Release]