Declaration of Cusco on indigenous people, traditional societies and local communities

Declaration of the XI International Congress of Ethnobiology held in Cusco (Peru) on 25-30 Juny 2008 whose aim was to review common concerns 20 years on from the First International Congress of Ethnobiology and its 1988 Declaration of Belém. The Declaration affirms that indigenous people, traditional societies and local communities continue to make significant contributions to the creation and conservation of biocultural and landscape diversity, which are essential for human well-being. The Declaration goes on to encourage governments and institutions to support initiatives from indigenous people that allow them to follow their own development paths rooted in their spiritual, cultural, ecological and economic values.