The Alliance's International Conferences are the ultimate political authority of the International Alliance. The decisions taken at the Conferences by the participants determine the activities of the Alliance between conferences, and provide the guiding framework for all work of the Alliance.

The first conference of the Alliance was held in Penang, Malaysia, February 1992, during which the Alliance was established and the Charter of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests defined. The second conference was held in Iquitos, Peru, August 1993, and the third conference in Nagpur, India, in March 1997.

All conferences have been highly successful in establishing indigenous policies and modalities for indigenous coordination and interaction with national, regional and international policy-makers. The most recent fourth Conference of the Alliance was held in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2002. Representatives of Alliance member organizations from tropical forest countries throughout the nine regions of the Alliance participated in this event.

The International Conferences are central to the functioning of the Alliance, enabling indigenous and forest-dwelling peoples to develop concrete strategies to increase indigenous participation in international decision-making in the areas of human rights, ecological justice, social development, culture and education. They facilitate collaboration between diverse organisations and the formulation of coherent policies, increasing the capacity of indigenous peoples to impact effectively upon regional and international decision-making.

Please use the links in the menu to the left to learn more about the activities and outcomes of each individual conference.