Closing Statement of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)
Ninth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Bonn, Germany
May 30th, 2008
Mr. Chairman,
Honourable Ministers,
Executive Secretary of the CBD,
Distinguished delegates,
Indigenous brothers and sisters,
I am reading this closing statement on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.
Mr. Chairman and distinguished delegates, COP 9 takes place at a time when Mother Earth is sending signals of her distress. The international community is facing multiple global crises caused by the impacts of climate change.
We thank the Parties that have supported our proposals. However, we regret that some key issues that concern Indigenous Peoples have not been adequately addressed.
In this regard, we request that Parties, donors and NGOs implement the CBD in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous children and youth make up more than 50% of the indigenous population worldwide and indigenous women are food producers, providers and guardians of the genetic resources of the food crops for future generations. We request that the Parties implement the Work Plan on Gender as a priority and allocate resources for ensuring the full and effective participation and capacity building of indigenous women and youth.
We urge the Parties to give priority under Article 8(j) to the implementation of regimes of sui generis protection of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices.
For us, it is fundamental that the Parties guarantee that Indigenous Peoples’ rights to our traditional knowledge, innovations and practices related to genetic resources, products and derivatives, be a legally binding element of any future regime on ABS
Increased support is required for capacity building of Indigenous Peoples for holding regional, sub-regional and national workshops to contribute to all CBD processes.
Recognizing the negative impacts caused by the establishment and expansion of land or marine Protected Areas in our territories, we reaffirm our position that we will not accept any Protected Areas until our rights are fully recognized and respected. We call on parties, the Executive Secretary, NGOs and donors to convene a series of regional workshops with our full and effective participation to review the implementation of the Program of Work on Protected Areas to prepare for the in-depth review at COP 10.
We reject genetically modified seeds, biofuels, marine fertilization experiments, monoculture plantations and other climate change mitigation and adaptation models because they destroy our lands, territories and resources and cause the displacement and forced relocation of our peoples. We reiterate our call for a moratorium on genetically modified trees. We demand the evaluation of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.
The real test will be how the decisions of this COP are implemented at the local level with the full implementation of our rights and how they affect the daily lives of our people, and whether they give hope to our peoples and children. We do not want life to be turned into a commodity and sold. We want biodiversity to be protected.
In conclusion, Mr. Chair, we, the Indigenous Peoples of the world request that all Parties, delegates and agencies go beyond rhetoric and take action. The protection of biodiversity is a challenge for all of us because our very survival and the survival of future generations depends on our ability to halt capitalist driven exploitation of biodiversity.
We thank the governments, especially the Government of Germany for hosting Indigenous Peoples in this COP.
Mr. Chair, you probably heard the thunder storms last night. Could it be that the Earth and Sky are protesting some of the decisions taken at this COP?
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
(Spanish Version)
Declaración de clausura del foro internacional indígena sobre Biodiversidad (FIIB)
Novena Conferencia de las partes del Convenio sobre la diversidad Biológica
Bonn, Alemania
30 de mayo de 2008
Sr. Presidente
Honorables Ministros
Secretario Ejecutivo del CDB
Distinguidos delegados
Hermanos y hermanas indígenas
Presento esta declaración de clausura en nombre del Foro Internacional Indígena sobre Biodiversidad.
Ninth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Bonn, Germany
May 30th, 2008
Mr. Chairman,
Honourable Ministers,
Executive Secretary of the CBD,
Distinguished delegates,
Indigenous brothers and sisters,
I am reading this closing statement on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.
Mr. Chairman and distinguished delegates, COP 9 takes place at a time when Mother Earth is sending signals of her distress. The international community is facing multiple global crises caused by the impacts of climate change.
We thank the Parties that have supported our proposals. However, we regret that some key issues that concern Indigenous Peoples have not been adequately addressed.
In this regard, we request that Parties, donors and NGOs implement the CBD in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous children and youth make up more than 50% of the indigenous population worldwide and indigenous women are food producers, providers and guardians of the genetic resources of the food crops for future generations. We request that the Parties implement the Work Plan on Gender as a priority and allocate resources for ensuring the full and effective participation and capacity building of indigenous women and youth.
We urge the Parties to give priority under Article 8(j) to the implementation of regimes of sui generis protection of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices.
For us, it is fundamental that the Parties guarantee that Indigenous Peoples’ rights to our traditional knowledge, innovations and practices related to genetic resources, products and derivatives, be a legally binding element of any future regime on ABS
Increased support is required for capacity building of Indigenous Peoples for holding regional, sub-regional and national workshops to contribute to all CBD processes.
Recognizing the negative impacts caused by the establishment and expansion of land or marine Protected Areas in our territories, we reaffirm our position that we will not accept any Protected Areas until our rights are fully recognized and respected. We call on parties, the Executive Secretary, NGOs and donors to convene a series of regional workshops with our full and effective participation to review the implementation of the Program of Work on Protected Areas to prepare for the in-depth review at COP 10.
We reject genetically modified seeds, biofuels, marine fertilization experiments, monoculture plantations and other climate change mitigation and adaptation models because they destroy our lands, territories and resources and cause the displacement and forced relocation of our peoples. We reiterate our call for a moratorium on genetically modified trees. We demand the evaluation of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.
The real test will be how the decisions of this COP are implemented at the local level with the full implementation of our rights and how they affect the daily lives of our people, and whether they give hope to our peoples and children. We do not want life to be turned into a commodity and sold. We want biodiversity to be protected.
In conclusion, Mr. Chair, we, the Indigenous Peoples of the world request that all Parties, delegates and agencies go beyond rhetoric and take action. The protection of biodiversity is a challenge for all of us because our very survival and the survival of future generations depends on our ability to halt capitalist driven exploitation of biodiversity.
We thank the governments, especially the Government of Germany for hosting Indigenous Peoples in this COP.
Mr. Chair, you probably heard the thunder storms last night. Could it be that the Earth and Sky are protesting some of the decisions taken at this COP?
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
(Spanish Version)
Declaración de clausura del foro internacional indígena sobre Biodiversidad (FIIB)
Novena Conferencia de las partes del Convenio sobre la diversidad Biológica
Bonn, Alemania
30 de mayo de 2008
Sr. Presidente
Honorables Ministros
Secretario Ejecutivo del CDB
Distinguidos delegados
Hermanos y hermanas indígenas
Presento esta declaración de clausura en nombre del Foro Internacional Indígena sobre Biodiversidad.
Sr. Presidente y distinguidos delegados, mientras la COP9 se celebra la Madre Tierra nos da señales continuas de su pesar. La comunidad mundial se enfrenta a muchas crisis globales por los impactos del cambio climático.
Agradecemos a las Partes que han apoyado nuestras propuestas. Pero lamentamos que algunos temas clave que afectan a los Pueblos Indígenas no se han tratado de manera adecuada.
En este sentido solicitamos a las Partes, Donantes y ONGs que implementen la CDB en forma consistente con la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas.
La juventud y niñez indígena representa más del 50% de la población indígena en el mundo y las mujeres indígenas son productoras de alimentos, proveedoras y guardianas de los recursos genéticos de los cultivos alimentarios para las generaciones futuras. Solicitamos que las partes implementen el Plan de Acción de Genero como una prioridad y designar recursos para asegurar la participación plena y efectiva y el fomento de capacidad de las mujeres y jóvenes indígenas.
Instamos a las Partes que prioricen la implementación del Régimen Sui Generis de Protección de los conocimientos tradicionales, innovaciones y practicas bajo el Articulo 8J.
Consideramos que es fundamental que las Partes garanticen nuestros derechos como Pueblos Indígenas sobre nuestros conocimientos tradicionales, innovaciones y prácticas relacionados a los recursos genéticos, sus productos y derivados, como elemento vinculante del futuro Régimen de ABS
Necesitamos aumentar el apoyo a los Pueblos Indígenas para formación de capacidad, realización de talleres, regionales, nacionales y sub-regionales con objetivo de contribuir en todos los procesos de CDB.
Reconociendo que el establecimiento y la expansión de las áreas protegidas de tierra firme y marinas en nuestros territorios ha causado impactos negativos. Reafirmamos nuestra posición que no aceptaremos cualquier área protegida hasta que nuestros derechos están plenamente reconocidos y respetados. Apoyamos el llamado a las partes, el secretario ejecutivo, las ONGs y donantes a convocar a una serie de talleres para revisar la implementación del Programa de Trabajo para preparar para la revisión a fondo en la COP10 con nuestra participación plena y efectiva.
Rechazamos las semillas transgénicas, los biocombustibles, los experimentos de fertilización marina, plantaciones de monocultivo y otros modelos de mitigación y adaptación del cambio climatico, porque destruyen nuestras tierras, territorios y recursos y causan el desplazamiento y reubicación forzada de nuestros pueblos. Reiteramos nuestro llamado por una moratoria sobre los árboles genéticamente modificados.
Exigimos la evaluación de las políticas de mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático.
El gran reto será la implementación a nivel comunitario de las decisiones de esta COP y la implementación de nuestros derechos plenamente, eso va a cambiar la vida cotidiana de nuestra gente y dará esperanza a nuestros pueblos y niños. No queremos que se convierta la vida en mercancía que se vende, sino que se protege la biodiversidad.
En conclusión, Sr. Presidente, nosotros, los pueblos indígenas del mundo solicitamos a todas las partes, delegados, agencias a ir mas allá de la retorica y actuar. La protección de la biodiversidad es un reto para todos nosotros porque nuestra supervivencia y las generaciones futuras dependerán de nuestra capacidad a detener su explotación impulsado por el capitalismo
Agradecemos el apoyo de los gobiernos, especialmente al gobierno de Alemania por la acogida a los Pueblos Indígenas durante esta COP.
Probablemente anoche ustedes escucharon la tempestad de truenos. ¿Puede ser que la Tierra y el Cielo están protestando por algunas de las decisiones tomadas por esta COP?
Gracias, Sr. Presidente.
