Indigenous Peoples’ Experience and Results on REDD+ Readiness 23 March 2017, Land and Poverty Conference 2017 Grace Balawag Tebtebba - Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education)

Discussion Outline IP situation and messages Why IPs engage in REDD+ readiness? IP Experiences and results in REDD+ readiness?

Introduction of Tebtebba Tebtebba-Indigenous Peoples international Centre for Policy Research and Education: a global indigenous peoples’ organization (IPO) established in 1996 based in the Philippines, but works with IPOs/NGO country partners and other stakeholders working at subnational, national, regional, and global levels Works for the recognition, protection and fulfillment of indigenous peoples’ rights Coordinates the Indigenous Peoples Global Partnership on Climate, Forests and Sustainable Development with 18 IPO/NGO partners in 13 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America

Introduction of Tebtebba Promote and disseminate widely indigenous peoples’ worldviews, perspectives on key issues such as individual and collective human rights, sustainable self-determined development, including climate change actions for resilience Emphasis on recognition of IP rights and traditional knowledge, customary laws and governance over LTR, conflict transformation, gender and intergenerational approaches Actively engages in official UN processes which led to the adoption of international human rights law and other international instruments, policies and agreements

IP situation: Historical discrimination and marginalization of IPs In Asia, most governments do not legally recognize IPs as distinct peoples with certain collective rights under international human rights instruments, standards and treaties IPs face huge disparities in access to social services such as education, health and sanitation, water, electricity, agricultural facilities, as compared to the non-indigenous population. IPs “remain at the margin of national development efforts, and if ever considered, they score low in all indicators in relation to their enjoyment of basic rights such as education and health” 2007 Report of the UNSRRIP, Dr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen

IP situation Inability of current development paradigms to fully reflect, recognize and incorporate IP rights, situations, issues and demands Need for recognition of the roles and contributions of IPs’ traditional knowledge in the sustainable resource management and use of lands, territories, and resources (LTR) including enhancement of biodiversity and carbon stocks, sustenance of low carbon economies and livelihoods, customary governance systems, among others.

IP messages “We believe that our worldviews and respect for natural law, our spiritualities and cultures and our values of reciprocity, harmony with nature, solidarity, collectivity, and caring and sharing, among others, are crucial in bringing about a more just, equitable and sustainable world.” – IPs on Sustainable Development “Recognizing that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment” - UNDRIP Preambular

Why IPs engage in REDD+ readiness? REDD+ and other activities in forests are particularly relevant for and to indigenous peoples, since most of the tropical rainforests are inhabited by us, and we have been living there since time immemorial. Our survival depends on the integrity of forest ecosystems, that provide us with shelter, food, medicine, cultural and spiritual values. Our rights are therefore intrinsically linked to a holistic approach to sustainable forest management and conservation, that fully captures not only management and use, but also cultural and spiritual values.

IP Experiences and Results IPs have been engaged over the years of negotiations with Parties that led to the various REDD+ related decisions at the UNFCCC particular on the respect of human rights and addressing safeguards in the Cancun Agreements, implementation of the Warsaw framework and PA Article 5 REDD+ decisions. IPs have been participating in various processes meant to provide options for the operationalization and implementation of the UNFCCC guidance on REDD+, through mechanisms such as the FCPF, FIP and UNREDD

IP Experiences and Results IPs reiterates that REDD+ as a country-led multi- stakeholder endeavour, where IPs and forest communities, as custodians of large forest areas, are crucial stakeholders and indispensable actors for the success of REDD+. Furthermore, their rights and development objectives maybe impacted by REDD+ activities. Hence, the need to ensure the full engagement and inclusion of the perspectives of indigenous peoples and forest communities in REDD+.

IP Experiences and Results IPs have effectively been engaged in technical working groups under REDD+ bodies at country level, as a mechanism to support policy options and incentives to ensure respecting REDD+ safeguards to their customary lands and forests, as a contribution to mitigate and adapt to climate change Further, IPs had emphasized the importance of ensuring non- carbon benefits, such as land/forest tenure rights, governance, biodiversity conservation, food security and ecosystems integrity, among others as further reiterated in the Paris Agreement

IP Experiences and Results Under the REDD+ mechanisms and other climate funds, IPs have been consistently negotiating over the years for the direct access to resources and funds to support IPs capacity development priorities for more effective participation in REDD+ and towards broader sustainable development goals IPs’ persistent negotiations resulted to the ff: FIP-Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities FCPF Capacity Building Program (CBP) for Forest- Dependent Indigenous Peoples and Southern Civil Society Organizations (with Tebtebba as recipient organization for IPs in the Asia-Pacific region) UNREDD Community-Based REDD+ In addition to support from other bilateral fund donors

IP Experiences and Results: Community strengthening thru participatory mapping/resource inventories, as basis for sustainable management of lands, territories and resources

Facilitating necessary capacity building activities, skills trainings, appropriate tools and technologies

Enhancing support for diverse traditional livelihoods and local economies

Strengthening traditional knowledge/practices such as sustainable wet agriculture and shifting cultivation or rotational agriculture for generations

Facilitating dialogues with State parties to support IP priorities and recommendations in UNFCCC official processes IMG_8370.JPG

Sharing our stories/ community struggles/ contributions at national, regional and global level events

Facilitating communications, press conferences, use of multi-media, radio, publications

Recognition and Respecting the customary land/forest rights of Indigenous Peoples is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change and to contribute in the implementation of sustainable development goals!

For more information, please visit: Iyaman!! Thank You!! For more information, please visit: www.tebtebba.org