A united front for sustainable development and indigenous leadership ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Belém

In a key diplomatic engagement, Viktor Sebek, Chairman of the South-South Cooperation Council for Sustainable Development (SSCC), met in Washington DC with Nasir Khattak, Vice President of the Climate Institute and a distinguished member of SSCC’s Academic Board. The high-level discussion focused on joint preparations for COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Belém, Brazil, in 2025.

This strategic meeting highlights SSCC’s leadership within an international coalition that includes Earthsavers/UNESCO Artist for Peace under the direction of Cecile Guidote-Alvarez in the Philippines, as well as the French-based organizations Energies 2050 and Art’s Planet, which operate throughout Francophone Africa. As part of the joint roadmap toward COP30, SSCC has extended a formal invitation to Nasir Khattak to participate in the upcoming Indigenous Forum in Cartagena, Colombia, scheduled for July 1 and 2, 2025.

The forum will bring together indigenous leaders, researchers, cultural ambassadors, and institutional allies from across the Global South to advance discussions on climate resilience and intercultural cooperation.