Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

ecommendation on the needto respect indigenous peoples’rights in the REDD mechanisms.• The Chair of the AHTEG onClimate Change and Biodiversitypresented the report at COP14in Poznan and stressed thatREDD cannot succeed withoutthe respect of rights of forestdependentindigenous peoples.• In the subsequent meetingsof the UNFCCC, indigenouspeoples continued theirparticipation to influence notonly the outcomes related toREDD but all the issues undernegotiation (please see Chapter 8 for more detailed discussion).• After the global consultation of indigenous peoples on REDD, thePackard Foundation discussed with Tebtebba what is the best way forindigenous peoples to sustain their capacity to influence the UNFCCCprocesses. Since Tebtebba is of the view that indigenous peoples shouldeffectively engage with any global, national or local process where theirconcerns are being decided, it proposed that there should be resourcesto allow a sustained participation of a groupof indigenous representatives in the UNFCCC.IIPFCC - InternationalIndigenous PeoplesForum on ClimateChange, the networkof indigenous peoplesengaging with theUNFCCC processes.While it is generally recognized thatREDD holds potential benefits forforest-dwelling indigenous and localcommunities, a number of conditionswould need to be met for theseco-benefits to be achieved, e.g.,indigenous peoples are unlikely tobenefit from REDD where they donot own their lands; if there is noprinciple of free, prior and informedconsent, and if their identities are notrecognized or they have no space toparticipate in policy-making processes;-Report of the FirstAHTEG on ClimateChange and BiodiversityOn this basis, the Packard Foundation providedfunds to Tebtebba to bring indigenousrepresentatives to the UNFCCC processes.This ensured the participation of indigenousrepresentatives in the Bonn Climate Talksin 2009, with the support to continue untilCOP15. The Rainforest Foundation Norwayhas also supported additional indigenousrepresentatives to participate in these sameprocesses.• Support from donors, both private and public, has enabled indigenousrepresentatives to take part in the UNFCCC negotiations, mainly asobservers. A few managed to become part of government delegations -as in the case with Bolivia, Guatemala and the Philippines - where 1 or 2indigenous persons were included in the government delegation. In thisway, indigenous representatives are able to lobby government delegatesand participate even in the closed door negotiating processes.• The Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative 10 released a call for60 <strong>Guide</strong> on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples