COICA - Coordination of the Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin

The Amazonian lowlands in South America cover an area roughly the size of Europe, namely 7.6 million square kilometres, and are home to vast biological diversity. This area in which most of the species of plants and animals to be found on earth have made their home is known as a hotspot of biodiversity.

Particularly the ways of life of the around 1.5 million indigenous people allow this diversity to be preserved. 400 different peoples with different languages and cultures share this way of life, which is primarily characterised by a respect for the natural environment.

Countless indigenous organisations have been established in the Amazon region since the middle of the past century whose primary concern – conservation and protection of the rainforest – is inextricably linked to preservation of their way of life. The Coordinator of the Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (Coodinadora de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica, COICA) was established in 1984 as the umbrella association for all indigenous organisations of the Amazon lowlands, and primarily represents their interests at an international level.