UNPFII 13 Side Event – Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories & Areas (ICCAs)

On Wednesday 14 May 2014, the GEF Small Grants Programhosted a side event jointly with UNDP, Natural Justice, the ICCA Consortium, WAMIP, UNINOMAD Iran and Cenesta to address ICCAs and how they support appropriate governance in line with Articles 3 to 6 and 46 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration). The event highlighted experiences from the field, with case studies from Iran, Chile, and Australia.

Natural Justice’s Jael Makagon opened the presentations by providing an overview of Article 3 to 6 and 46 of the UN Declaration, which are the subject of the theme of this year’s Permanent Forum. He emphasised the importance of Article 3, which affirms Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination, and highlighted tension within the UN Declaration regarding the parameters of this right. He also noted that ICCAs serve as the embodiment of exercising the rights set forth in Articles 3 to 6. 

Ari Gorring of Kimberley Land Council discusses
indigenous protected areas in Australia

The next three presenters from Iran, Chile, and Australia spoke on the challenges and successes of the development and implementation of ICCAs in their respective regions. Dr. Taghi Farvar highlighted the importance of obtaining appropriate recognition of ICCAs. An important element that has been crucial to success in Iran is the self-declaration by nomadic communities of their ICCAs independent of the government. This is important because it is often difficult to determine which government agency should be approached to recognize ICCAs, and self-declaration allows communities to take the process into their own hands. Juan Carlos Tonko, leader of the Kawesqar People, spoke on the challenges facing his community in the very southern tip of Chile, that has long been utilising the resources of the sea. Mr. Tonko spoke about how their community has been expelled from a protected area and of recent collaborations with scientists conducting research, which next to mapping of fauna, flora and animal species included noting the original names of the region as a first step of reclaiming the territory. Finally, Ari Gorring presented on the experience of the Kimberley Land Council in Northwest Australia. In this case, the communities face many challenges in their efforts to determine indigenous territories and seeking sustainable partnerships that are not reliant on government. Ms. Gorring spoke of their model of generating enterprise based on local values and is not reliant on government resources.

Finally, Kanyinke Sena from Kenya commented on these case studies noting how ICCAs can help communities to realize the rights set forth in the UN Declaration. He also shared some examples from Kenya highlighting the continuing conflict between the government and ICCAs / collectively controlled areas and territories. While communities are still being expelled from government controlled protected areas, however, Kanyinke highlighted the potential of community co-management systems as a first step in the right direction.

Council of the Global Environmental Facility Convenes 44th Meeting

During the week of 17 June, 2013, the Council of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) convened its 44th meeting at the headquarters of the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Prior to the start of the meeting, a GEF Council Consultation Meeting with was held with Civil Society Organizations on Monday, 17 June 2013. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, noted that while progress had been made regarding CSO engagement with the GEF, more could be done in this area. More information on the CSO Consultation meeting can be found here. From 18 June to 20 June 2013, the Council of the GEF met to address a variety of issues at its 44th meeting. These included approval of the work programme and budget for the GEF Evaluation Office as well as a discussion on the GEF's role regarding synergies among multilateral environmental agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification. The Council of the GEF also approved a decision for Mexico to host the fifth Assembly of the GEF. More information on this meeting can be found here and the IISD summary report can be found here. 

Indigenous Peoples and Community Conserved Territories and Areas in Kenya

On the 14^th of June 2013, Natural Justice participated in a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on Indigenous Peoples Community Conserved Territories and Areas(ICCA). The meeting was organized by the ICCA Network in Kenya, with support of by the GEF Small Grants Programme, and attended by a number of civil society representatives in Kenya. Participants in the meeting heard from Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend, General Secretary of the ICCA Consortium, Kanyinke Sena, a indigenous peoples rights lawyer and member of the UNPFII and Clement Lenachuru, Commissioner of the Kenyan National Land Commission. The Kenyan ICCA Network also discussed with participants their plans to raise awareness on ICCA’s and highlight various Kenyan ICCA examples over the next year. Natural Justice, as members and southern and eastern African representatives the Consortium have been asked to support to the ICCA Network in this process.

Presentation to GEF SGP - Kenya

Natural Justice was invited to present at a meeting of the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) Kenyan National Steering Committee on 9 November, 2012. The National Steering Committee includes representatives from  governmental, intergovernmental and civil society bodies such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Kenyan Ministry of Environment, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, WWF and Oxfam. It provides support to community based environment projects in the country with the aim of environmental conservation and sustainable livelihood development. Gino Cocchiaro presented on the work of Natural Justice, focusing on biocultural rights and biocultural community protocols as mechanisms to support the wellbeing of communities, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Kenyan Civil Society Meeting on ICCAs

Natural Justice's Gino Cocchiaro attended a meeting of Kenyan civil society representatives investigating the promotion of Indigenous peoples' and community conserved territories and  areas (ICCAs)  on 7 November, 2012, in Nairobi, Kenya. During the meeting, which was facilitated by the GEF Small Grants Programme and UNDP, Natural Justice presented on the recently completed Kenyan ICCA legal review, developed by Natural Justice and its partners, and on biocultural community protocols, a legal tool being used by communities in Kenya to secure their ICCAs. Through its BCP Initiative, Natural Justice continues to work closely with Kenyan partners and lawyers to assist communities in the development and use of their BCPs and as they attempt to shape and leverage national law and policy that respect their territories and waters.

New Publication and Website from UNDP-GEF

The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has published a major report on the work done since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to support communities and civil society organisations in their efforts to implement environment-cum-development initiatives entitled "20 Years: Community Action for the Global Environment." It has also released a new website, www.biodiversity-products.com, which showcases biodiversity products produced by partners of the SGP. 

The publication tracks the work of communities and affiliated organisations who have partnered with the GEF SGP to blend conservation and development. It describes itself as "a celebration of two decades of communities and civil society organizations proving themselves capable of the task, of their hard work, of the risks they took together with their partners and supporters, and of all SGP stakeholders demonstrating that sustainable development can be achieved."

The website, which currently features GEF SGP grantees in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, will eventually have global scope. The site defines biodiversity products as any "consumable, useable, artistic, or medicinal remedy created from the wealth of biodiversity." The website offers visitors the opportunity to join an online community focused on biodiversity products and also enables visitors to search for biodiversity products by classification, nation or region. 

Find the GEF SGP summary of "20 Years: Community Action for the Global Environment" here and download it here. The biodiversity products website can be accessed here and products searched for here.