Oxford University Researchers have released a new report calling on UNFCCC to halt the marginalisation of Indigenous Peoples at its annual COP negotiations.
The report identifies three tiers of marginalisation for Indigenous Peoples at the international climate negotiations.
Full report is available here: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2870412
Policy brief here: bit.ly/2fI1jR9
In a new working paper released today, researchers at the University of Oxford are calling on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to address the marginalisation of Indigenous Peoples. They warn that if the leading international climate body continues to marginalise Indigenous knowledge and adaptations, attempts to solve the climate crisis will be in vain.
Oxford University researchers have identified three tiers of marginalisation that exist at UNFCCC COP events, including COP22 taking place in Marrakesh this week:
· Politically, Indigenous Peoples are not allowed to self-represent; they are simply ‘observers’ to the negotiations. The nation states speaking on their behalf are responsible for their historical and current political marginalisation.
· Geographically, the space offered to Indigenous Peoples is outside the main negotiating space of the conference.
· Economically, Indigenous Peoples attendance is restricted by lack of finances. Developed nations and wealthy lobbyists thus dominate the space; Indigenous Peoples often cannot afford translators.
The new paper argues that solving the climate crisis will be unfeasible without the direct input of Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge. Yet, as the paper points out, the marginalisation faced at annual UNFCCC COP events inhibits this. Further, it goes against International human rights, including the right to self-determination.
Lead author Claudia Comberti says: “Rather than acknowledging the key role Indigenous Peoples should play in creating climate solutions, they are segregated at the climate negotiations and not allowed to self-represent. The UNFCCC needs to change this if it is to create fair and adequate solutions to climate change.”
The paper notes that Indigenous Peoples represent the majority of the world’s cultural diversity. Collectively they hold a wealth of environmental knowledge and adaptation strategies that are crucial to addressing climate change. Indigenous Peoples are also experiencing climate change first, and most strongly than other populations.
The paper proposes four actions to radically improve the situation:
1) Grant Indigenous Peoples full member status at the UNFCCC, so they can self-represent.
2) Appoint Indigenous Peoples as experts in negotiations around Adaptation and Loss & Damage
3) Direct and restructure financial streams to increasing autonomy and voice of Indigenous Peoples – including the Green Climate Fund, and finance for translators and travel
4) Commit to respecting Indigenous Rights and International human rights – an international agreement that the current situation undermines.
The full paper, released today, is based on several months of research, including interviews and observations at previous UNFCCC COP events.
For full article see: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2870412
Policy brief: http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/publications/policy-brief-pdf/20161116_IP-marginalisation_CComberti.pdf
Agenda for the last day of the COP22 meeting in Marrakesh: Friday, November 18, 2016.
Selection of events
08.00 – 10.00 Arabian Room (Blue zone)
Indigenous Peoples' Global Caucus Meeting
10.30 – 11.00 Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion
Briefing for the Indigenous Peoples' Caucus
11.15 – 12.15 Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion
Affordable Green Energy for Poor Communities
Organizers: Varhad Capital Pvt Ltd (Green Banking Initiative)/Gravity Power
12.30 – 14.00 Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion
Lessons from the Canadian Arctic on Adapting to Climate Change
Organizers: McGill University/Inuit Circumpolar Council, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, University of Sunshine Coast
14.15 – 15.15 Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion
Organic Value Chains with Moroccan Communities
Organizers: High Atlas Foundation
15.30 – 18.30 Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion
Ancestral techniques of the oases for the management of natural resources
Organizers: Association Oasis Ferkla pour Environnement et Patrimoine/RADDO,RARBOSM
Indigenous Peoples Caucus Reiterates Position on Proposed Platform
The Indigenous Peoples Caucus reiterated their consensus position to the President of COP22, Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar at the meeting of the Indigenous Caucus this morning. Hamza Tber, Chief of Staff, Multilateral Negotiations, Kingdom of Morocco accompanied the COP President at the Caucus.
“IIPFCC proposed elements for an outcome of the informal consultation on the indigenous peoples platform:
- An incremental approach led by the SBTA chair and a representative of Indigenous Peoples appointed by the Indigenous Peoples themselves who will serve as co-facilitators.
- Invite submissions by parties, Indigenous Peoples and observers by 31 March 2017 on the purpose, content and structure of the indigenous peoples´ platform to inform the dialogue and the process.
- Convene 3 consultations, to be conducted by the co-facilitators during May sessions on the operationalization of the platform, including purpose, content and structure.
- Request the co-facilitators to present the outcomes of the consultations for the consideration and adoption at the COP23.
- Request the secretariat, under the guidance of the co-facilitators, to operationalize the platform taking into account the submissions and the outcomes of this dialogue.
We remain available if you require any further information. We are committed to several bilaterals with a number of Parties throughout the day to reiterate our position.”
UNESCO Policy on engaging with Indigenous Peoples
Docip has the pleasure to forward you the following message from the UNESCO focal point unit for indigenous issues:
Dear partners, colleagues and friends,
Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, decided in May 2010 to develop a UNESCO Policy on engaging with Indigenous Peoples.
To follow up on this decision, an intersectoral Task Team carried out face-to-face meetings, workshops and interviews with indigenous peoples who have partnered with the Organization in different areas of its mandate. These inputs, reflections and observations have contributed towards the current draft UNESCO policy for engaging with indigenous peoples. The draft policy document contains key principles for engaging with indigenous peoples, and guidelines for how these principles would be applied in UNESCO’s programme areas.
You are invited to review the draft policy and to inform us of your views. The review period runs until 30 November 2016. Following this review, your inputs, comments and criticisms will be taken into account by the Task Team when revising the document, with the aim to submit a final draft for consideration by UNESCO's Executive Board at its 201st session.
Please contact t.narayan@unesco.org if you’re interested in receiving the draft policy for review.
For more information, please consult our website. If you have any questions on the process, please send them to t.narayan@unesco.org
With sincere thanks in advance for your review and responses,
Ms. Trupthi Narayan
On behalf of the UNESCO focal point unit for indigenous issues.
t.narayan@unesco.org
+33 1 45 68 01 85
Indigenous Peoples' Pavilion at COP 22 Opens
The “Indigenous Peoples’ & Communities’ Pavilion: Traditional Knowledge for Climate Action” (Pavilion) at the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) officially opened on 8 November 2016. The Pavilion will remain open to the public from 8-18 November 2016 and is located within the 'Civil Society Space’ or "Green Zone", which is adjacent to the COP 22 Blue Zone negotiation space. This Pavilion is accessible through accreditation.
The purpose of the Pavilion is to facilitate the effective representation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities by providing a dedicated gathering space to meet to coordinate on messaging and advocacy strategies; to convene events like presentations, policy dialogues, panel discussions, publication launches, etc. to advance discourse on indigenous peoples’ and communities’ solutions to climate change; and to be a center for learning and knowledge exchange on indigenous peoples’ and community issues in the climate context. The Pavilion will be a highly-visible platform for communicating and amplifying messages of Indigenous Peoples and local communities during the COP 22 negotiations.
African Indigenous Peoples Caucus meets at the Pavilion (Photo: Johnson Cerda)
Indigenous Peoples Caucus Statement at COP22 APA Session
Jannie Staffansson reads the Indigenous Peoples Caucus statement at the APA session of COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco, November 7, 2016
On Monday, Jannie Staffansson (Sami) delivered the Indigenous Peoples Caucus Statement at the #UNFCCC Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) opening Plenary. The statement raised recommendations for the future implementation of the Paris Agreement, as well as called upon the countries who signed onto the Geneva Pledge on Human Rights and Climate Change to establish a Working Group or a program on Human Rights and Climate Change within the UNFCCC process. The statement made at the APA session was one of four presented by the Indigenous Peoples Caucus on Monday at COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco. #IIPFCC #Saamicouncil #IndigenousCOP22
Statement of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) to the Ad Hoc Working Group for the Paris Agreement (APA), November 7, 2016, Marrakech, Morocco
COP22 Conference Venue Information
The COP22 venue is at Bab Ighli is located approximately 10 minutes away from the Marrakech city centre and 10 minutes from Marrakech Airport. It consists of the main conference area, also known as the “Blue Zone”, and space for civil society and other participants also known as the “Green Zone”.
Registration
Registration is open from 5 November until Friday, 18 November 2016, from 8.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. The acknowledgement letter of the participant’s confirmation, obtained through confirmation in the online registration system, and a valid passport or a nationally approved photo identification card should be presented to the registration staff in order to ensure the issuance of your badge.)
Daily Caucus:
IPs Caucus daily meeting will take place from 9.00 AM-10.00 AM at room Arabian at Blue zone
Banking
Opening days and hours of the office of Bank Al-Maghrib at the Bab Ighli conference site: From Monday, 7 November, to Friday, 18 November 2016, from 9.00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please note that the Bank office will be closed on Saturday, 12 November, and Sunday, 13 November 2016. The Bank office is located in the Services area
DOCIP Technical secretariat at COP22
We have the pleasure to announce Docip’s presence at the COP22 meeting in Marrakesh, November 7 - 18, 2016.
You can find our technical secretariat in the Indigenous Peoples' and Communities' Pavilion, in the Green Zone. It will be open from 10:00am to 7:00pm.
Thanks to Docip's vast network of multilingual volunteers we offer the following free services to all Indigenous delegates attending the meeting:
▪ Translation to and from English, French, Spanish and Russian
▪ Interpretation on demand to and from English, French, Spanish and Russian for informal meetings and bilateral sessions, as well as regional caucus meetings
▪ Guidance for new participants
▪ Photocopies and other administrative tasks
In order to support the Indigenous delegates’ work, Docip offers them an office space equipped with:
▪ An office to use as workspace
▪ Computers and printers
▪ Internet connection
▪ Office supplies
For all questions please contact Karen Pfefferli: karen@docip.org - phone/whatsapp:+41 78 885 52 89 or Miguel Betti: sectec-intern@docip.org
COP 22 Bus Shuttle
Shuttle Service to COP22 site (Bab Ighli)
Shuttle service in the city of Marrakech will be provided free of charge for all participants (on presentation of badge) from November 5 to 18 from 6am to midnight, according to the following schedule:
– Peak hours (7am-10am and 6pm-8pm): shuttle every 15 minutes
– Off-peak hours (6am-7am; 10am-6pm and 8pm-midnight): shuttle every hou
Indigenous Peoples Dialogue with UNFCCC States Parties
The Indigenous Peoples' dialogue with Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place on 5 Nov at Hotel Meridien in Marrakech from 2-5 pm.
Indigenous Peoples Dialogue with UNFCCC States Parties
COP22 President Mr. Salaheddine Mezouar and Morocco Minister of Environment, Ms. Hakima El Haite addressed the representatives of Indigenous Peoples from seven geo-political regions attending the dialogue. On behalf of International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), Ms. Jannie Staffansson put forward the key demands of indigenous peoples for COP22.
Minister of Environment, Ms. Hakima El Haite
The dialogue between Indigenous Peoples and States was interactive, constructive and set a good path for future dialogues with parties to the UNFCCC. Government representatives from France, Norway, Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand were present in the dialogue.
Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, the co-chair of Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus moderated the session. The IIPFCC will soon be distributing the Indigenous Peoples' political statement in abridged and longer versions in the coming days.
IPs caucus meeting and Pavilion at COP22
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
We hope and believe that you are zipping up your bags and beginning your travels to Marrakesh, Morocco
We would like to update you all on the following:
- The Global IPs caucus will takes place on 6 November at the Meridien Hotel, Avenue Mohammed VI from 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM.
- The official opening of indigenous peoples and local communities pavilion will be on 8 November from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Green Zone.
- IPs Caucus daily meeting will take place from 9.00 AM-10.00 AM at room Arabian at Blue zone
We look forward to impacting the Climate Change processes and implementation of the Paris Agreement