Belém, Pará, November 16, 2025 – The People’s Summit, which mobilized civil society, social movements, and traditional peoples from November 12 to 16 in Belém, concluded its activities with an unprecedented balance of organization and political achievements. In direct contrast to the private-negotiation character of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), the popular gathering celebrated global unity and the cumulative outcome of two years of political organizing, reinforcing that responses to the climate crisis emerge from territories, not markets.
The closing was marked by a Public Hearing held on Thursday morning at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), where the Summit’s political agenda was formally presented to the President of COP30, André Corrêa do Lago, consolidating a milestone of dialogue between the popular space and the official summit.
Participation and adherence figures also underscored the historic scale of the mobilization. According to the balance presented by the political coordination, more than 1,100 organizations signed the Political Charter; leaders and representatives from over 60 countries were present; and more than 25,000 people were accredited, with an estimated daily circulation of around 20,000 people on the UFPA campus. The strength of the gathering was also reflected in its broad public visibility, with coverage by more than 300 national and international media outlets.
Solidarity economy and the record-breaking kitchen
The People’s Summit also left a concrete legacy in solidarity economy and the fight against hunger, highlighted by the Solidarity Kitchen. Built collectively under the coordination of the Homeless Workers’ Movement (MTST), the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST), the Artisanal Fishers’ Movement (MPA), the Popular Peasant Movement (MCP), the Federation of Organizations for Social and Educational Assistance (FASE), the National Agroecology Articulation (ANA), and other organizations, the initiative served between 9,000 and 12,000 meals per day.
This solidarity logistics operation became the largest solidarity kitchen ever organized in Brazil and the largest public procurement under the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) for an event in more than 20 years of the program’s history, demonstrating the potential of agroecology and food sovereignty. The Popular Fair also showcased vibrant experiences in solidarity economy, agroecology, Afro-Brazilian terreiro communities, feminist economy, and traditional ways of life.
The strength of ancestry and political unity
The closing act was rich in symbolism, with leaders emphasizing that ancestry and tradition are sources of strength for the struggle. Facilitators, referencing the wisdom of leaders such as Chief Raoni, stressed that “faith and joy fight against death and sadness,” underscoring that peoples resist because they celebrate life.
Dialogue with the Federal Government
The public hearing marked the formal recognition of the peoples’ voices within the COP context. The closing panel included key federal government authorities, signaling recognition of the popular agenda: Sônia Guajajara, Minister of Indigenous Peoples; Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change; and Guilherme Boulos, Minister of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency.
They were joined by André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30; Ana Toni, CEO of COP30; and Eutália Barbosa, Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Women, alongside historic representatives of social movements and members of the People’s Summit Political Commission such as Joseph Antoine (Friends of the Earth International), Denise Chaves (Andean-Amazonian Women’s Initiative), Sérgio da Silva Santos (Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon – COIAB), Melanie Lazon Eketiúdo Combo (La Via Campesina), Vera Paoloni (Unified Workers’ Central – CUT), and Antônio Crioulo (National Coordination for the Articulation of Rural Black Quilombola Communities – CONAQ).
The closing reaffirmed the commitment to carry collectively built demands into COP30, reiterating that the response to the climate crisis is born in territories, popular organizations, and the peoples who protect life.