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Addressee: Member States, Indigenous peoples
Full Text
The Permanent Forum recommends that, in the Arctic, Amazon and Congo basins and the Sahara oases, which are indicators of climate change for the rest of the world, Member States work closely with indigenous peoples. The discussions and negotiations on climate change should respect the rights of indigenous peoples to nurture and develop their traditional knowledge and their environment-friendly technologies. In the case of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and inhabiting the most biodiverse areas in the Amazon, the primary requirement of their free prior and informed consent for any alien intervention must be stressed.
Responses
The Government of Mexico reports:4. To encourage the participation and activities of civil society organizations, the
Forum on Gender and Sustainable Development in Mexico was held. At the Forum;a network of agencies was proposed to work jointly on rural, indigenous, urban and
natural issues and thereby to promote the exchange of experience and proposals between the social sector and the government sector; 5. One of the priority research areas for CDI is traditional knowledge, natural resources and the environment; hence it supported in 2008 the study “Climate
change and indigenous peoples: documentation and analysis of the problem”, in order to examine the topic on the national and international levels and to document strategies for adaptation and mitigation. In 2009, a study is planned on community strategies and traditional practices used by indigenous peoples to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The report of Colombia highlights the role of indigenous territories (resguardos) and national parks in mitigating climate change by preserving forests. This is especially the case in the Amazon Region and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The report mentions seven projects on climate change adaptation that directly or indirectly affect indigenous communities.
Final Report of UNPFII Session 7 (2008)
Area of Work
