Reynaldo A. Morales, PhD, MSc
Advisor to International Negotiation Teams; Indigenous Relations
Working in communities; sitting at international negotiating tables.
Reynaldo advises international negotiating teams on Indigenous rights, environmental governance and sustainable development. He serves on Indigenous Peoples’ technical and negotiation groups within United Nations processes, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He was part of the negotiating team behind the Cali Fund for Biodiversity and participates in negotiations concerning Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
His work is grounded in extensive field experience with Indigenous Peoples and culturally distinctive communities around the world. He has conducted field and policy research across Latin America, Asia, Africa and North America, working directly with Indigenous leaders, communities, governments, researchers and international organizations.
International Negotiations
UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Paris Agreement Article 6
Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities
International Treaty Processes
Field Research
Peru · Colombia · Mexico · India · Nepal · Cameroon · Mozambique · Egypt · United States
Academic Foundation
Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and Education (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
M.Sc. in Education (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
B.A. in Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Undergraduate Studies in Cinematography and Social Communication Sciences (Universidad de Lima, Peru)
—- FROM GLOBAL POLICY TO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES —-
CALI FUND FOR BIODIVERSITY
Member of the Indigenous Peoples negotiating team on Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources, contributing to the negotiations that culminated in the Cali Fund for Biodiversity.
PARIS AGREEMENT
Member of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change and the Indigenous Peoples negotiating team addressing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which governs international cooperation on climate action, including carbon markets.
PERUVIAN AMAZON
Field research and documentary work with Indigenous Peoples in the Peruvian Amazon, examining territorial rights, environmental governance and conservation — including land conflicts and the restitution of Indigenous territorial rights.
INDIA
Worked with Adivasi communities in southern India on biodiversity, traditional seed systems and genetic resource governance — helping develop community-based protocols and contributing to work that led to the Wayanad Declaration protecting genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
U.S. TRIBAL NATIONS
More than a decade of work across more than 36 U.S. Tribal Nations, collaborating with Tribal authorities, educators and community members on environmental initiatives, food sovereignty, educational self-determination, and community capacity building.
COLOMBIA
Conducted field research with Nasa and Misak Peoples in Colombia, working with Indigenous leaders, governors and traditional authorities on territorial governance, land conflict and agroecology — including visits to contested land involving large agricultural interests.
— STORYTELLING THAT BUILDS UNDERSTANDING —
Reynaldo uses documentary film and visual storytelling to bring Indigenous perspectives and community realities to wider audiences — translating complex issues across communities, governments and international audiences. His recent documentaries on Indigenous rights and governance have received multiple international awards.
— EXPERTISE —
- Free, Prior & Informed Consent
- Indigenous Rights & Territorial Issues
- International Negotiation & Treaty Processes
- Land Rights, Land Tenure & Natural Resources
- Biodiversity & Genetic Resource Governance
- Climate Change & Environmental Policy
- Traditional & Indigenous Knowledge Systems
- Community Engagement & Consensus Building