STATE OF THE WORLD's INDIGENOUs PEOpLEs - CINU

EMBARGOED UNTIL 14 January 2010STATE OF THE WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLESNot for distributionpractices, more incentive measures tailored to ensure the survival of traditional knowledge within and beyondthis current generation, urgently need to be developed.Implementation of the goals related to biodiversity and traditional knowledge requires both political will andeconomic support. Most indigenous peoples are highly dependent on the states in which they live. 87 However,they rarely enjoy sufficient national legislative support or any degree of self-governance, both of which areneeded for maintaining their biodiversity-related practices and knowledge and for ensuring the successfulimplementation of Article 8(j). 88 They also face constraints in the exercise of customary laws relevant to themanagement, conservation, and sustainable use of biological diversity. The outcome of the work being done inWG8J and WGABS is therefore of special interest to indigenous peoples.In ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity, developed countries have also committed themselves to providingfinancial resources to ensure that developing countries can implement the Convention. In adopting the Declarationon the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, states have recognized a similar obligation to “establish and implementassistance programmes for indigenous peoples for such conservation and protection without discrimination”. 89This funding, which can be made through bilateral, regional or multilateral donations, is channelled throughthe Global Environment Facility (GEF), the financial mechanism of the UN environmental conventions and thelargest funder of projects to improve the global environment. 90 Indigenous peoples’ involvement in the GEF policyprocesses is limited, although they participate in the GEF assembly and council meetings and have their ownfocal point within the NGO network that is part of the GEF structure. 91Although the GEF is an independent financial body, its projects and programmes are implemented throughagencies, such as the UNDP and the World Bank, some of which have their own policies on indigenous peoples.Several indigenous organizations have been able to access project funding, and the CBD Conference of theParties has specifically requested that GEF finance projects strengthening the involvement of indigenous peoplesin conserving biological diversity and in maintaining the sustainable use of its components, and in supporting thepriority activities identified in the WG8j’s programme of work.Protected areasAlthough 12 per cent of the earth’s land surface now consists of protected areas, they do not cover all biomesand species requiring protection, and so the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are notbeing fulfilled. In order to address these gaps, a Programme of Work on protected areas was developed at theCBD Conference of Parties in 2004. The objective of this Programme is toSupport the establishment and maintenance by 2010 for terrestrial and by 2012 for marine areasof comprehensive, effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and regionalprotected areas that collectively contribute to achieving the 2010 target. 9287Working Group on Article 8(j) (2007b).88Working Group on Article 8(j) (2007b).89United Nations (2007), Article 29.90 The GEF has, since 1991, assisted countries in meeting their obligations under the conventions that they have signed and ratified,such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, theUN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), etc. GEF provides grants for projects related to the following six focal areas:biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer and persistent organic pollutants. Seehttp://thegef.org91See, e.g., Forest Peoples Programme (2007b).92Convention on Biological Diversity (2004), COP 7 Decision VII/28.110 | CHAPTER III