Statement by the IIFB on Agenda Item 4.6 COP9 CBD
Bonn, Germany
21 May 2008
Dry and Sub-Humid Lands
Dear Madam Chair,
We, indigenous peoples and local communities welcome the attention given by Parties to the theme of dry and Sub-humid lands.
We want to emphasise that indigenous peoples and local communities have had a sustainable approach to living with biodiversity in dry and sub-humid lands since time immemorial.
Madam Chair, We believe that all the solutions available to States and peoples in dry and sub-humid lands exist already within the framework of the three Rio Conventions. The challenge is to understand the causes of the problems, to harmonise the key elements of the international instruments, and to establish an effective partnership between indigenous peoples and local communities at regional and national levels.
Madam Chair, if we recognise the relationship between an ecosystem approach to biodiversity conservation and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, we already have adequate solutions to current environmental challenges.
Madam Chair, we note the following threats to biodiversity in dry and sub-humid lands:
Colonial approaches to range management did not take into consideration traditional knowledge about mobility and ecosystems;
Out-of-date scientific theories which continue to play a role in state planning related to the ecology of dry and sub-humid lands;
Agricultural incursion into sensitive ecosystems is causing rapid land degradation and promoting conflict between peoples. Equally mining and extractive industries pose environmental and demographic threats;
There is currently, in many countries, a policy bias in favour of urban or farming communities, which results in violation of indigenous and local communities land rights, insufficient consultation and participation by indigenous peoples in dry and sub-humid lands;
Traditional knowledge is not being used effectively for decision making by States in environmental and economic policy making
Madam Chair, we recommend to the State Parties:
Encourage more attention by UN agencies and Parties to enhance the conservation of biodiversity in dry and sub-humid lands;
Promote a human rights approach to dry and sub humid lands policies and programming at international, regional and national levels as well as recognizing the indigenous peoples and local communities land rights, including valuing cultural diversity. This includes inter alia respect for the principles contained in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other instruments at the regional and national level;
Dry and sub-humid lands policies and programming need to evolve in cooperation with indigenous peoples and local communities traditional knowledge, notably as set out by the Ad Hoc Working Group on 8J;
There should be greater harmonisation between CBD’s inter-related elements related to dry lands (i.e. 8J, 10C,ABS and Ecosystems Approach) and the work of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC);
Harmonisation between the Rio Conventions notably applies to the full recognition by Parties of indigenous peoples and local communities as a Major Group in all three instruments;
Lastly madam chair, we recommend full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities especially indigenous women in the UNCBD SBSTTA activities dealing with dry and sub-arid lands as well as related working groups.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Bonn, Germany
21 May 2008
Dry and Sub-Humid Lands
Dear Madam Chair,
We, indigenous peoples and local communities welcome the attention given by Parties to the theme of dry and Sub-humid lands.
We want to emphasise that indigenous peoples and local communities have had a sustainable approach to living with biodiversity in dry and sub-humid lands since time immemorial.
Madam Chair, We believe that all the solutions available to States and peoples in dry and sub-humid lands exist already within the framework of the three Rio Conventions. The challenge is to understand the causes of the problems, to harmonise the key elements of the international instruments, and to establish an effective partnership between indigenous peoples and local communities at regional and national levels.
Madam Chair, if we recognise the relationship between an ecosystem approach to biodiversity conservation and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, we already have adequate solutions to current environmental challenges.
Madam Chair, we note the following threats to biodiversity in dry and sub-humid lands:
Colonial approaches to range management did not take into consideration traditional knowledge about mobility and ecosystems;
Out-of-date scientific theories which continue to play a role in state planning related to the ecology of dry and sub-humid lands;
Agricultural incursion into sensitive ecosystems is causing rapid land degradation and promoting conflict between peoples. Equally mining and extractive industries pose environmental and demographic threats;
There is currently, in many countries, a policy bias in favour of urban or farming communities, which results in violation of indigenous and local communities land rights, insufficient consultation and participation by indigenous peoples in dry and sub-humid lands;
Traditional knowledge is not being used effectively for decision making by States in environmental and economic policy making
Madam Chair, we recommend to the State Parties:
Encourage more attention by UN agencies and Parties to enhance the conservation of biodiversity in dry and sub-humid lands;
Promote a human rights approach to dry and sub humid lands policies and programming at international, regional and national levels as well as recognizing the indigenous peoples and local communities land rights, including valuing cultural diversity. This includes inter alia respect for the principles contained in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other instruments at the regional and national level;
Dry and sub-humid lands policies and programming need to evolve in cooperation with indigenous peoples and local communities traditional knowledge, notably as set out by the Ad Hoc Working Group on 8J;
There should be greater harmonisation between CBD’s inter-related elements related to dry lands (i.e. 8J, 10C,ABS and Ecosystems Approach) and the work of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC);
Harmonisation between the Rio Conventions notably applies to the full recognition by Parties of indigenous peoples and local communities as a Major Group in all three instruments;
Lastly madam chair, we recommend full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities especially indigenous women in the UNCBD SBSTTA activities dealing with dry and sub-arid lands as well as related working groups.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
