Training Session on Nagoya Protocol and BCPs for Tribal Link's Project Access

In preparation for the 11th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Tribal Link organised a training session for Indigenous Peoples from all over the world from 2-4 May. This year's training included a daylong session on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Article 8(j) of the Convention, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, and biocultural community protocols. The third day of the training was organised by John Scott (CBD Secretariat), assisted by Lucy Mulenkei (Indigenous Information Network and the Indigenous Women's Biodiversity Network, IWBN), Florina Lopez (Kuna Yalaas and IWBN) and Johanna von Braun (Natural Justice).

Many of the discussions related to comparing strategies of engagement between the UNPFII and the CBD with respect to indigenous issues. The 11th Session of the UNPFII is affected, similar to previous years, by severe spacial challenges due to ongoing constructions at the UN Secretariat in New York. While 1600 participants have been registered from all over the world, the meeting venue can only hold 400 people.

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Case Study on Forest Use and Management in Vietnam

As Vietnam prepares for the implementation of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), a challenge has been the limited information on how customary land rights and institutions support the preservation of Vietnam’s forests. While the government is increasingly open to partnering with local communities in conservation, there is very limited research documenting the successes and challenges of this approach in the country. 

To address this, the International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) Foundation, and Culture Identity and Resource Use Management (CIRUM) have partnered in a case study documenting the forest resource use and management of the Dzao and Thai people of northwest Vietnam. According to the description, ‘the study documents customary law applied in forest resource use and management among Thai and Dzao communities and concludes with a set of recommendations which can contribute to an improvement of forest related laws and policies.’ 

Read the summary of the case study report here and download the report here.

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New Report on Large-Scale Land Acquisitions

Image via www.globalwitness.org

As the scale of large-scale land acquisitions in developing nations continues to grow, Global Witness, the International Land Coalition and the Oakland Institute have produced a report documenting how opening up the process of acquisition would benefit local communities, governments and business. The report is titled ‘Dealing with Disclosure: Improving Transparency in Decision-Making Over Large-Scale Land Acquisitions, Allocations and Investments.’ 

The report begins with a brief illustration of the context of large-scale land acquisition and emphasising the importance of finding methods of encouraging transparency and accountability when such deals are considered. The report then moves on to consider some of the safeguards that have been used to promote transparency including international binding instruments, international voluntary agreements or declarations, voluntary corporate social responsibility commitments, and other mechanisms.

The report then considers a four stage approach for specific projects. The first step is recognising existing land and resource rights, the second is assessing impact, the third is effective monitoring of implementation and the fourth is post-project transparency. Community Protocols, and the role of Natural Justice in pushing of the inclusion of protocols in the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, are spotlighted as a mechanism to assert existing land and resource rights. 

The summary of the report can be found here, the full report can be downloaded here.

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New CBD Newsletter

The May [square brackets] newsletter of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has been released. The newsletter includes a number of fascinating articles. Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) served on the editorial board alongside colleagues from other NGOs and the CBD Secretariat. 

This edition includes an interview with the CBD Executive Secretary on challenges ahead. Simone Lovera (Global Forest Coalition) and Rashed Al Mahmud Titimu (Unnayan Onneshan) compiled a piece civil society’s views on the scaling up of biodiversity finance. Ashish Kothari (Kalpavriksh) shared his critical reflections on the potential for Rio +20 to push ‘business as usual.’ 

The newsletter can be downloaded here.

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Learning About Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights and Advocacy in Asia-Pacific

From 23 April to 2 May in Sabah, Malaysia, Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) participated in a training program entitled "Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights and Advocacy in Asia-Pacific". It was organized by the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP), which is affiliated with the University of New South Wales Faculty of Law, and hosted by Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS, the Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia), Partners of Community Organisations (PACOS Trust), and the Centre of Malaysian Indigenous Studies (CMIS) at the University of Malaya.

Through an engaging format of presentations, panel discussions, and role play activities, participants from 12 countries learned about a range of topics and practical tools to advocate for Indigenous peoples' rights from some of the leading practitioners in the region.

These included:

• Jannie Lasimbang (Malaysian Human Rights Commission) on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, national human rights institutions, and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• Dr. Ramy Bulan (CMIS) on the legal framework for Indigenous peoples' rights in Malaysia;
• Dr. Sarah Pritchard on the international human rights system, including treaty bodies, specific human rights instruments, and special procedures;
• Dr. Megan Davis (Director, Indigenous Law Centre, University of New South Wales) on her role as an Expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII);
• Dr. Colin Nicholas (Centre for Orang Asli Concerns) on 'activism thresholds' as well as tools for proving Native Title;
• Patrick Earle (Executive Director, DTP) on advocacy and campaigning strategies and techniques;
• Christina Hill (Mining Advocacy Officer, Oxfam-Australia) on Indigenous peoples' right to free, prior and informed consent as well as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises;
• Virginia Dandan (UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and International Solidarity) on the right to development, economic, cultural and social rights and the Millennium Development Goals, and the meaning of solidarity;
• Joshua Cooper (Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights) and Binota Moy Dhamai (AIPP) on the Universal Periodic Review;
• Shree Kumar Maharjan (AIPP) on climate change and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD); and
• Leonard Alaza (JOAS) on advocacy and the media.

Holly extends heartfelt appreciation to all of the participants, trainers, support staff, and the program's organizers, particularly Imelda Deinla (DTP) and Christina David (JOAS), for an extremely informative and inspiring 10 days.

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First Meeting of the Diversity Liaison Group

On 28 and 29 May, Johanna von Braun (Natural Justice) participated in the first meeting of the Diversity Liaison Group (DLG) of the joint programme on biological and cultural diversity which was endorsed by UNESCO’s constituencies and the tenth Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan.

This first meeting brought a number of different stakeholders together, ranging from representatives of indigenous communities, academic institutions, funding agencies, other UN agencies and NGOs. The expectation from the DLG, which is an informal group with fluid membership, is to provide technical advice and to assist the Secretariats of the CBD and UNESCO in advancing the Joint Programme, assessments of progress made, and in plotting of future steps. 

In this first meeting participants were asked to comment on the priority focus areas for the joint program of work and its deliverables for COP11, discuss a future online ‘Global Knowledge Platform on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity’, identify key messages on the links between biological and cultural diversity, and to coordinate their strategic communication with respect to future events such as Rio+20, the World Conservation Congress and COP 11.

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New JUST Conservation Website

Image via www.justconservation.org

The JUST Conservation network, which seeks to link organisations and individuals seeking conservation achieved with justice, has launched a new website at www.justconservation.org. The new site has enhanced capacity to host discussions and is optimised for viewing on smartphones and tablets. 

According to the description, “The purpose of Just Conservation is to provide a more accessible venue for providing information about these conservation conflicts. It is oriented in particular to conflicts which arise because of human rights abuses. It proposes that those directly affected by conservation should be able to raise issues of concern without the use of intermediaries.” 

Please check the site out and contribute here. Visit them on Facebook here. Give feedback on the site here.

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