COP10, October 18th 2010 WELCOME YOU TO THIS SIDE EVENT ON Article 10(c) - customary sustainable use: Examples, Obstacles, Solutions, and Community Initiatives Secretariat

Customary use of biological resources To provide community food sustainance shifting cultivation or rotational farming foraging, hunting and fishing wood, honey, nuts, forest fruits, palms and other NTFP

(continued) home-building tools boats, nets traditional medicines

continued Hammock- making Pottery, weaving, beading musical instruments clothing

Lands & resources communally managed spiritual beliefs and cosmological views guide the care of territories and resources (deep respect for nature and interconnection with past and present generations) customs and rituals when interacting with natural resources  ‘seeking permission and good fortune’  being respectful and avoiding upsetting the spirit beings

Customary laws and rules for sustainable use unwritten rules and laws make sure that over-use is prevented and that there will be enough left for future generations.  Do not waste or overuse (take only what you need)  Make sure a resource can recover  Avoid taboo, sacred or otherwise special areas or species

Community control mechanisms Dependency (destroying nature = destroying your future) Internal control (elders, traditional institutions) Spiritual beliefs (spiritual sanctions when balance between man and nature is upset by incorrect use)

Threats to customary sustainable practices Lack of secure land and resource rights Lack of recognition of customary laws and institutions Imposed protected areas and conservation policies Lack of recognition and respect for the importance of customary sustainable use for biodiversity protection External pressures on traditional lands (no FPIC) Mainstream education and assimilation policies

Community initiatives to enhance implementation of Article 10(c)

Documenting customary use and customary laws The studies explain about customary management systems and the important role of customary laws & institutions. And demonstrate value of customary practices and traditional knowledge

Initiatives to protect and maintain traditional knowledge and practices (skills) related to sustainable resource use Karen and Hmong in Thailand organise youth camps to pass on indigenous culture and knowledge related to the environment and customary use Indigenous education festival in Suriname

Participatory videoing

Community land use mapping Paddy 795 Rai Rotational fields 935 Rai Settlement 178 Rai Burial grounds 296 Rai Use forest 7,159 Rai Ritual forest 1,593 Rai Government reforestation 232 Rai Community conserved forest 1,297 Rai Spring area 2,602 Rai Traditional forbidden forest 67 Rai Grazing are a Queen project 132 Rai Public lan d 51 Rai Total area: 15,337 Rai Farming: 1,730 (11.2%) Use Forest: 7,210 (47%) Conservation 5,855 (38.2%) Govt Project: 364 (2.4%) Settlements: 178 (1.2%) [total forest area: 85.2%] Result = Communal land titles are recognized by government

Maps demonstrate and clarify traditional occupation and customary use of resources Maps are a tool to assert more secure land and resource rights Support dialogue and negotiation processes with outside actors

Addressing equity in protected area management Example: Thailand ‘Joint Management of Protected Areas Project’ in Ob Luang National Park. Has resulted in:  improved access and resource use in and around the protected area  more involvement in the decision-making and management of the protected area.  River basin committee: improved collaboration between different sectors

Methods: mapping out community land use zones in areas overlapped by the Ob Luang National Park

Development of the Participatory Model for Identification and Recognition of Forest People (ParMoRec) in the Sundarbans (Bangladesh) Identifies the real traditional forest resource users Promotes issuing of forest permits to real resource users and addresses corruption Improves access to forest for local communities Improves livelihoods

10(c) at COP 10 Agenda item 6.7 (Article 8j): We welcome the decision to include a new major component on article 10c in the revised POW on 8j Agenda item 5.5 (Sustainable use): ‘Address obstacles and devise solutions for 10c…’ (paragraph 2e) needs to take include:  Secure land and resource rights  Support for customary laws and institutions  Participation in management and decision making of resources  Access to education in our own culture and our own language

Thank You