August 30, 2024, Puyo, Ecuador - During the closing ceremony of the just concluded International Yasuní Summit, the Waorani Nation of Ecuador (NAWE) announced its formal adherence to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. The inhabitants of one of the world's most diverse socio-ecosystems become the tenth indigenous nation to support this proposal for a new legal mechanism to allow a fair exit from oil, gas and coal production.

The announcement was made by Juan Bay, President of NAWE, who highlighted how imposed oil activity in their territory was presented as a source of development. But today, it only resulted in divided communities, environmental and cultural problems, and a total lack of any basic infrastructure for their pikenanes (grandparents) in their last stage of life.

The Waoranis add their voice to the nine indigenous nations of Peru and the thirteen countries working towards the opening of a negotiating mandate for a Treaty.

Juan Buay, President of the Nawe, said: "The Waorani people adhere to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty because the Yasuní and the Amazon, our home, are key to global climate stability. As children and defenders of the Amazon, we know that the only way to guarantee a full future for all humanity is by respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and guaranteeing the livelihoods of the communities that live here, which is why it is important to put an end to dependence on fossil fuels. But we cannot do it alone. This treaty is the international legal tool we need for countries like Ecuador to stop sacrificing our peoples, territories, cultures and biodiversity. We join the Treaty with the firm conviction that the leadership of indigenous peoples, supported by international allies, is the path to a world free from the extractive greed of the few.”

Olivia Bisa, President of the Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation, Peru, said: “The Waorani people's call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is one more step in the Nawe's leadership for social, environmental and climate justice. Once again, they are sending a strong message to the world: indigenous leadership is invaluable for the well-being of the planet and all of humanity, but it is a task that can only be achieved with global support and above all, with the accountability of those who are generating so much destruction. The Yes to Yasuní of the Waorani people and now their Yes to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty are a hope and an inspiration for the world.”

Andrés Gómez, Head Latin America Campaigns and Advocacy for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, said: “The Waorani nation continues to clearly show the way to build post-fossil fuel societies with its call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. The collective exercise in which their mandate to dismantle the oil field in Yasuní is being built is the first reference of its kind in the world, and it will be an example for similar processes to multiply. It is time to listen to those who have always known how to protect the planet and who today continue to demonstrate it by joining the call for a Treaty”