The implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework must respect the rights, cultures and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities if we are to reach the goal of living in harmony with nature.
October 23rd, 2024. Cali, Colombia
In the face of unprecedented biodiversity loss and the negative effects of climate change, there is much to do and much to learn from Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have been stewards of nature for thousands of years.
“As Indigenous Peoples, we have been custodians of our lands, territories and waters for millennia and have deep interaction with the ecosystems where we live,” says Lakpa Nuri Sherpa, Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).
“Evidence shows that our lands and waters are among the most biodiverse on the planet. Our roles and contributions are essential in achieving the goals and targets of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF),” he says.
The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) is attending COP16 in Cali, Colombia, to negotiate for a rights-based approach to biodiversity conservation as enshrined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
One of the IIFB’s key demands will be the approval and adoption of the Permanent Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and the New Programme of Work on Article 8(j), which focuses on the key role of traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation.
“A new Programme of Work for Article 8(j) will give Indigenous Peoples and local communities more credibility,” says Lucy Mulenkei, Co-Chair of the IIFB. “As Indigenous Peoples and local communities, we will work together to streamline some of the challenges we have been having, and we will have a system where we can collectively work with other partners to make it a success.”
“The Parties to the convention and the Private sector plus other key partners working on the implementation of the KMGBF will know how and where to find us, especially on key aspects of Traditional Knowledge and Culture and the Biodiversity Convention,” she says.
“Conservation needs a lot of partners,” says Aslak Holmberg, IIFB Regional Coordinator for the Arctic, “whether that’s state actors, environmental NGOs or communities embodying traditional lifestyles that are relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It is important to recognise the distinct and inherent collective rights of Indigenous Peoples and that must be secured in this convention as well.”
“When it comes to the matter of representation by regions, only Indigenous Peoples can represent ourselves. So we do need more work on our knowledge and on our ways of conserving our territories and we look forward to collaborating with everyone on this,” he says.
Another priority topic for the IIFB will be the implementation of Target 3, which calls for expanding and enhancing protected and conserved areas, which, if poorly managed, violate Indigenous Peoples rights and force them off their lands. IIFB representatives will be promoting the recognition of the Territories, a new approach that includes and respects the rights and traditions of Indigenous Peoples.
“The world’s eyes are on the implementation of the 30×30 target,” says Jennifer Corpuz of the IIFB. “If we get it wrong, it will be the new coming of colonisation. We need to make sure the language on Indigenous and Traditional Territories and Free, Prior and Informed Consent is honoured in Target 3.”
However, for these new approaches to succeed, it is also crucial for Indigenous Peoples to be able to access funding to allow them to continue their work in the face of unprecedented challenges. Despite having conserved and sustainably used the biodiversity on their lands for millenia, issues like climate change, deforestation, extractive industries and fortress conservation are increasingly obstructing their work.
“Today, there is a lot of discussion about the millions and millions of dollars being allocated to biodiversity management and reducing the impacts of climate change,” says Ramiro Batzin, Co-Chair of the IIFB.
“Indigenous Peoples are asserting that these resources should go directly to them, reaching those who are actively managing biodiversity and confronting climate change,” he says.
“How we think this can be done is to include indigenous governance in the fund itself,” says Ramson Karmushu of the IIFB, “so we can discuss how to ensure there is direct access to funds to Indigenous Peoples.”
Another key topic for the IIFB will be the benefit-sharing mechanism on Digital Sequence Information (DSI). This, which is part of the Nagoya Protocol, aims to ensure that when genetic data is taken, stored and used from Indigenous Peoples’ territories (for example, a plant that becomes a key ingredient in a new medicine), the benefits are shared with the peoples whose land it was taken from.
The IIFB is calling for the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the governance of both the DSI mechanism and the fund, and to ensure that they are the primary beneficiaries. As the most effective guardians of biodiversity, our direct access to the fund must be ensured, because in the current system, funds often pass through NGOs and other institutions that charge high administrative and consultancy fees and are not aligned with Indigenous Peoples’ self-determined priorities.
“This is a crucial time for Indigenous data sovereignty to be recognised and upheld,” says KatieLee Riddle of the IIFB. “We stand firm that Indigenous Peoples and local communities must give their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent before any genetic resources from our lands are digitized.”
“The recording of biocultural metadata is key to preserving our connection to our lands, waters and territories. We call for direct, fair and equitable funding to support Indigenous communities’ efforts to conserve biodiversity on the ground, with the FAIR and CARE principles guiding DSI governance,” she says.
Finally, traditional knowledge indicators will also be a top priority, regarding the implementation of the KMGBF under a human rights-based approach.
“It is important that our monitoring system is able to see both whether the Parties are delivering on these commitments and also how Indigenous Peoples are contributing our best to the implementation of the KMGBF,” says Joji Carino of the IIFB.
“The Traditional Knowledge indicators will monitor how we are contributing to understanding the state of biodiversity as well as the state of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as key actors in the KMGBF,” she says.
At COP16, history can change, with new mechanisms and organisms that guarantee the vital and permanent role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, to further us on the path to living in harmony with nature.