The UNDP Equator Initiative has announced a global call for nominations for the Equator Prize 2015 as part of an extensive partnership effort underway to strengthen and highlight the role of indigenous peoples and local communities at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP21).

It will honor 20 outstanding local and indigenous community initiatives that are reducing poverty, protecting nature, and strengthening resilience in the face of climate change.

This year, the award is centered on the themes of empowerment, rights, and partnerships for local climate action with an emphasis on indigenous peoples and local communities that are:

• Protecting, restoring and sustainably managing forests
• Promoting sustainable agriculture and food security
• Advancing community-based adaptation to climate change
• Protecting and securing rights to communal lands, territories and natural resources
• Forging innovative partnerships for sustainable development

Winning initiatives will join a prestigious network of 187 leading community-based organizations from 70 different countries that have been awarded the Equator Prize since 2002. Each winning initiative will receive US$ 10,000 and be supported to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events at the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris, France in December 2015.

To find out more about the prize and how to nominate an initiative, visit the Equator Prize site here.

Nominations must be submitted by 27 May 2015.