Last week saw a meeting in Weilburg, Germany to discuss “Social Inclusion in REDD+ Processes”. The meeting, organised by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation and the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, also discussed the “Status and Achievements of 10 years’ REDD+ Preparation and Implementation”.
The reality is that after more than 10 years and millions of dollars, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility has not saved a single hectare of forest. A Guest Post on REDD-Monitor last year described it as “The most cost-inefficient tree saving scheme ever”.
At the end of the meeting in Weilburg, several Latin American indigenous peoples’ organisations put out a statement criticising, among other things, the FCPF’s failure “to seriously address the rights agenda”.
The statement notes that most of the financing from the FCPF “has been channelled to the governments, large NGOs and consultants”. After more than a decade of REDD, indigenous peoples are still calling for “the FCPF, the donor countries and the governments of the REDD+ countries to recognise the rights to land and territories.”
The statement was released in Spanish and is available below, and here is a Google Translate English version:
Declaration of Indigenous and Community organizations from Weilburg after 10 years of REDD+
FIAY, COICA, AMPB, CICA, COIAB AND OTHERS
The creation of REDD+ as a response to climate change based on forests is reaching 10 years old, and at the end of the mandate of the FCPF and UNREDD+, indigenous and community organizations in Latin America want to share our proposals.
1. We recognise that the REDD+ discussion has made important progress: it has built technical capacities in governments and civil society on the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation and has allowed indigenous and community organisations to make visible the rights agenda on lands and territories, social and environmental safeguards, forests and carbon, participation and consultation, among others.
2. However, despite these advances, the balance sheet also records how slowly the process has moved to enter the implementation phase and that much of this delay has been the resistance of many governments to seriously address the rights agenda. Particularly sensitive have been property rights over land and territory, carbon rights, and participation and consultation.
3. We also wish to point out that in this decade of REDD+ construction the financing has been very unequal and unjust and the indigenous and community representations have been very disadvantaged, since our appreciation is that most of the financing has been channelled to the governments, large NGOs and consultants, the lack of funding being a very strong barrier for the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the construction of REDD+ processes.
4. Indigenous peoples have developed a successful social base, which has made possible the results of REDD+ in the countries, however, in this event this contribution was not visualised.
Our proposals
1. We call on the FCPF, the donor countries and the governments of the REDD+ countries to recognise the rights to land and territories, forests and carbon, go beyond REDD and respect the spaces for participation of indigenous peoples, without these qualifying conditions REDD+ will not be viable nor will it fulfil its objectives.
2. Access to financing for indigenous peoples and communities and their organizations is fundamental at this stage and we propose to create a special fund for indigenous peoples directly, so that FCPF significantly increases resources and greater speed and opportunity for its implementation. The Program for Strengthening Capacities of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities has been important but notoriously insufficient and not very timely.
3. In addition, we demand the promotion of initiatives of indigenous and community territorial funds on Climate Change, we can not depend on intermediaries for territorial investment, it is important that donor countries and REDD+ countries understand that these instances will be the best guarantee so that the resources reach the territories and arrive with opportunity.
4. Generate mechanisms to counteract territorial conflicts such as: Invasion of indigenous lands, displacement, criminalization, among other conflicts.
5. It is necessary to strengthen the full and effective participation of indigenous and community peoples at the global level. To achieve this, we propose to create a permanent working group coordinated by the FCPF, with the representation of indigenous and community peoples.
6. All REDD processes must respect the principle of Free Prior and Informed Consultation FPIC.
Declaración de organizaciones Indígenas y Comunitarias desde Weilburg a 10 años de REDD+
FIAY, COICA, AMPB, CICA, COIAB Y OTROS
La construcción de REDD+ como una respuesta al cambio climático basada en los bosques está cumpliendo 10 años y al final del mandato del FCPF y ONUREDD+, las organizaciones indígenas y comunitarias, de América Latina queremos compartir nuestras propuestas.
1. Reconocemos que la discusión de REDD+ ha tenido avances importantes: ha construido capacidades técnicas en los gobiernos y en la sociedad civil sobre la reducción de emisiones por deforestación y degradación y ha permitido a las organizaciones indígenas y comunitarias hacer visible la agenda de derechos sobre tierras y territorios, salvaguardas sociales y ambientales, bosques y carbono, participación y consulta, entre otros.
2. Sin embargo, a pesar de estos avances nuestro balance también registra lo lento que se ha movido el proceso para entrar a la parte de implementación y que buena parte de este retraso ha sido la resistencia de muchos gobiernos a abordar seriamente la agenda de derechos, particularmente sensibles han sido los derechos de propiedad sobre la tierra y el territorio, los derechos sobre el carbono y la participación y consulta.
3. También deseamos señalar que en esta década de construcción de REDD+ el financiamiento ha sido muy desigual e injusto y las representaciones indígenas y comunitarias han sido muy desfavorecidas, ya que nuestra apreciación es que la mayor parte del financiamiento se ha canalizado a los gobiernos, grandes ONG ́s y consultores, siendo la falta de financiamiento una barrera muy fuerte para la participación plena y efectiva de pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales en la construcción de los procesos REDD+.
4. Los pueblos indígenas hemos desarrollado una base social organizada con éxito, el cual ha hecho posible los resultados de REDD+ en los países, sin embargo, en este evento no se visualizó este aporte.
Nuestras propuestas
1. Hacemos un llamado al FCPF, a los países donantes y a los gobiernos de los países REDD+ a reconocer los derechos sobre la tierra y los territorios, a los bosques y al carbono, ir mas alla de REDD y respetar los espacios de participación de los pueblos indígenas, sin estas condiciones habilitantes REDD+ no será viable ni cumplirá sus objetivos.
2. El acceso al financiamiento para pueblos indígenas y comunidades y sus organizaciones es fundamental en esta etapa y proponemos crear un fondo especial para pueblos indígenas de forma directa, que FCPF aumente significativamente recursos y una mayor velocidad y oportunidad para su implementación. El Programa de Fortalecimiento de Capacidades a Pueblos Indígenas y Comunidades Locales ha sido importante pero notoriamente insuficiente y poco oportuno.
3. Además, demandamos el impulso a las iniciativas de fondos territoriales indígenas y comunitarias sobre Cambio Climático, no podemos depender de intermediarios para la inversión territorial, es importante que los países donantes y los países REDD+ entiendan que estas instancias serán la mejor garantía para que los recursos lleguen a los territorios y lleguen con oportunidad.
4. Generar mecanismos para contrarrestar los conflictos territoriales como son: Invasión de tierras indígenas, desplazamientos, criminalización entre otros conflictos.
5. Es necesario fortalecer la participación plena y efectiva de los pueblos indígenas y comunitarias al nivel global, para lograr proponemos crear una mesa de trabajo permanente coordinada por FCPF, con la representación de pueblos indígenas y comunitarios.
6. Todo proceso de REDD debe respetar el principio de la Consulta Libre Previa e informada CLPI.
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