Training Indigenous Interpreters: HUMANA’s Work Toward COP30 and Beyond

Training Indigenous Interpreters: HUMANA’s Work Toward COP30 and Beyond

With the approach of the COP30 climate summit, to be held in Belém in 2025, the state of Pará has seen a significant increase in preparations to welcome delegations from around the world. Among the key behind-the-scenes actors in this process is HUMANA COM & TRAD, a company that, for over a decade, has specialized in interpretation and multilingual communication in complex and multicultural contexts.

But HUMANA’s work goes far beyond event logistics. One of its most powerful contributions is the training of interpreters from traditional, indigenous, and quilombola communities—groups that are often excluded from international negotiations, despite being on the front lines of climate and environmental issues.

Amplifying the Voices of Those on the Front Lines

The training of new interpreters is a strategic initiative by HUMANA to ensure that COP30, and future climate events, include not only the presence but also the voices of those most affected by the climate crisis. This means offering language training and technical knowledge in interpretation to indigenous and quilombola youth, enabling them to mediate and communicate within international events.

This type of investment directly contributes to language justice and democratizes access to key decision-making spaces. It also breaks with the logic that only technical experts or urban professionals can speak on behalf of territories—recognizing that communities have their own specialists, languages, and solutions.

A History of Engagement and Innovation

HUMANA’s work with interpreter training is not recent. Over the years, the organization has held workshops and supported capacity-building projects in partnership with universities, social movements, and NGOs, particularly in the Amazon. These actions reflect a commitment to intercultural dialogue and the construction of communication bridges that go beyond translation—they promote genuine understanding and respect for diversity.

As the COP30 approaches, this commitment has intensified. There is a growing demand for HUMANA’s services from organizations planning pre-COP events, international delegations visiting Pará, and public institutions preparing for the summit. And along with these services comes the mission: to ensure that language does not become a barrier to participation, but rather a bridge.

Looking to the Future

HUMANA sees the road to COP30 as a collective opportunity: not just for global visibility, but for strengthening the local ecosystem of interpreters and communicators engaged with climate justice. By training new voices, especially from underrepresented groups, HUMANA contributes to building a more plural, accessible, and just international dialogue.

In doing so, the company not only prepares for a major event—it also helps shape the future of interpretation in Brazil, where the right to speak and be heard, in any language, is a fundamental part of democracy.