Opening Statement -English

International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity
Opening Statement
Second Meeting of the Working Group on Protected Areas
of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Rome, Italy
February 11, 2008

Buon Giorno a Tutti!

Thank you, Mr. President.

On behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, it is an honor to take the floor to inform you of the Indigenous Peoples preparatory meeting held on February 9th and 10th in this beautiful city in which we analyzed the current situation of the implementation of the Program of Work, including impacts of protected areas on Indigenous Peoples’ lands and territories.. We had high hopes when the Program of Work was adopted in 2004, but in reality, the continued establishment of protected areas in indigenous land and territories still violates the human rights and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples, including to right to free prior informed consent.

We remind Parties that decision VII/28 clearly states that “the establishment, management and monitoring of protected areas should take place with the full and effective participation of, and full respect for the rights of, indigenous and local communities”. The establishment of protected areas continues to result in the expropriation of our lands, territories, resources and the loss of our cultures and livelihoods. Such undesirable outcome must stop and a new ethic of conservation be established. We demand the recognition of our rights and the restitution of our lands. Without these prerequisites, the creation of protected areas will continue to increase inequality and poverty, and the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved.

We are profoundly disappointed that neither this decision nor Element 2 of the Program of Work on Governance, Equity, Participation and Benefit Sharing are being effectively addressed and implemented. The Secretariat rightly noted in document UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/2 that “progress has been limited in the achievement of the goals and targets of Element 2.”

Without reforming the national and international legal frameworks and policies to ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision making, a fair and just implementation of the Program of Work would remain impossible. In this regard, we remind the Parties that on September 13th, 2007, the General Assembly of the UN approved by overwhelming majority the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Articles 25 to 32 of this historic declaration are of particular importance for the deliberations of this Working Group. The Declaration must be considered as the fundamental basis for any further implementation of the Programme of Work.

Regarding the topic of mobilization of financial resources, we are deeply concerned about the implication and negative impacts of some of the financial mechanisms contained in document UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/4. We reject proposed solutions such as carbon trading, extractive industries, nature-for-debt swaps, privatization of water, bio-prospecting permits, negative ecotourism, environmental services, payment for eco-system services and REDD, because they are very controversial and contrary to our worldview and rights,.

In reference to document UNEP/CBD/WG-PA/2/3, the criteria addressed in this document for establishing marine protected areas do not include socio-cultural criteria, ignore the vast traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, and disregard their rights. These omissions deny the intrinsic relationship between Indigenous Peoples and marine biodiversity, and the essence of program element 2 of the Programme of Work.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretariat for having incorporated some of the submissions of Indigenous Peoples in the documents. We urge the Secretariat to continue with these good practices and cordially request that the timeframe be sufficient and flexible enough for indigenous and local communities to be able to consult and submit feedbacks

Mr. President, under your distinguished leadership, in the course of this week, we will present our concrete proposals on the text of the recommendations of the documents of this Working Group.

Grazie.