STATE OF THE WORLD's INDIGENOUs PEOpLEs - CINU

EMBARGOED UNTIL 14 January 2010STATE OF THE WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLESNot for distributionWith 191 Parties, 63 the CBD is one of the most widely adopted international agreements in history and is provingto be a relatively effective forum for indigenous and local communities to seek recognition of their rights.UN Framework Convention on Climate ChangeThe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted in 1992 is aimed at stabilisinggreenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenicinterference with the climate system. The text of the Convention does not explicitly discuss indigenous peoples inrelation to climate change, although Article 4 is interpreted as describing the urgency that various social groupsare facing in relation to climate change. Further, developed countries are urged to support social groups living indeveloping countries through the transfer of knowledge and technology in order to strengthen their resilience tothe adverse effects of climate change on their livelihoods. 64Since 1988, indigenous peoples have been participating at UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties (COP) and havereleased a number of statements and declarations expressing concerns on the implications of climate changepolicies on their livelihoods and cultures. Since 2001, indigenous peoples’ organizations have been acknowledgedas a constituency in climate change negotiations within the UNFCCC. At the same time, however, indigenouspeoples are still waiting for the approval of an ad hoc Working Group on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Changeby the UNFCCC, allowing them to actively participate in the meetings of the Conference of Parties. 65With no mandatory limits on GHG for individual nations and no enforcement provisions, the Convention isconsidered legally non-binding. However, it includes provisions for updates or “protocols” that can set mandatoryemission limits. The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, thus commits ratifying countries to reduce their emissionsof carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases. As with the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol does not mentionindigenous communities.The Forest PrinciplesThe Statement of Principles for the sustainable management of forests is also non-legally binding. However, it haspaved the way for a number of mechanisms, and Principle 12(d) recommends recognising, respecting, recording,developing and, as appropriate, introducing in the implementation of programmes “indigenous capacity and localknowledge regarding the conservation and sustainable development of forests”. It further states that “benefitsarising from the utilization of indigenous knowledge should therefore be equitably shared with such people”.The United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)As stipulated in the Rio Declaration, a first assessment of Agenda 21 was made in 1997. This assessment concludedthat, despite some positive developments, many of the trends and problems that faced leaders in Rio remainedunabated or had worsened. In 2002, a second summit was convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, where theinternational indigenous movement participated actively.Assembled in Kimberley (South Africa), 20-24 August 2002, more than 300 indigenous peoples’ leaders andorganizations from all over the world attended the Indigenous Peoples’ International Summit on Sustainable63These 191 Parties include 190 states and the European Union. 168 states signed the Convention in 1992.64Macchi (2008), 11.65Ibid, p. 12THE ENVIRONMENT | 101