The United Nations today launched its first report on the state of the world’s indigenous people, with the Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, saying it offered a “daring and bold” description of the situation of indigenous persons in health, poverty, education and human rights, and should be fed into the upcoming review of the Millennium Development Goals.
2nd Edition of Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples Now Released!
The popular Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples aims to enhance indigenous peoples knowledge on climate change so that indigenous peoples will be better equipped to participate more effectively in shaping relevant policies and actions taken to address this issue. It also aims to enlighten non-indigenous peoples on our own experiences and perspectives on climate change.
This Second Edition includes updates on Part III: Climate Change Mitigation Measures: Impacts on Indigenous Peoples; Part IV: Adapting to Climate Change: Indigenous Peoples Show the Way; Part V: REDD/REDD+ and Indigenous Peoples; Part VIII: The Current State of Climate Change Negotiations; and Part IX: Ways Forward: The UNDRIP, the Human Rights Based Approach and the Ecosystem Approach. Date of Publication: September 2009.
Some developed countries are plotting the death of the Kyoto Protocol. The stage has been set. Misinformation has been circulated to the media and public that the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The December 2009 UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, so the story goes, is to agree or lay the foundations of a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol – the so-called “post-Kyoto” agreement.
Mother Earth is no longer in a period of climate change, but in climate crisis. ....Indigenous Peoples have a vital role in defending and healing Mother Earth. We uphold that the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples ... must be fully respected in all decision-making processes and activities related to climate change.
1. Climate change, in the light of the current global financial, economic, environmental and food crises, represents an unprecedented challenge and opportunity for humanity to transform global economic, political, social, cultural relations to live in balance with Mother Earth. Reaching climate equilibrium and justice is inseparable from acknowledging the historical responsibilities of developed countries while promoting social equity between and within nations, maintaining ecological integrity, addressing the climate and ecological debt, and pursuing an effective transition away from fossil fuel dependency towards a green economy. It requires honouring international commitments to poverty eradication, sustainable development, biodiversity, and human rights. The full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, local communities and vulnerable groups is key to achieve a just and equitable outcome of the climate negotiations.
Weak “rights” language on current REDD+ text;Annex 1 Countries' Commitments to Kyoto Protocol and UNFCCC Should be Fulfilled
Bangkok, 08 October —Over 100 indigenous peoples representatives from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Pacific, and North America are in Bangkok to ensure that our rights, as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and international human rights instruments, are recognized and respected in the current negotiations leading to Copenhagen. We have been actively meeting with parties to discuss and share with them our perspectives and positions on climate change.
