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References

Introduction
Dimensions of Diversity
Indigenous Peoples...
From Policy to Implementation
Executive Summary COP5
Executive Summary COP6

Introduction:

  1. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation cited in UNEP/CBD/WG8J/2/5
  2. See WWF/Terralingua (2000) Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of the World and Ecoregion Conservation: An Integrated Approach to Conserving the World's Biological and Cultural Diversity . Gland: WWF International.
  3. The terms "rights-holders" was developed during the sixth meeting of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity to differentiate indigenous peoples from inclusion in the general term "stakeholders", which has historically dominated the language of the Convention.
  4. Source: McKay, F (2000) 'The Rights of Indigenous Peoples in International Law: A Briefing Paper for the Department of International Development'. Forest Peoples Programme.
  5. See Decison V/16 (Annex: para.2)
  6. See, Forest Peoples Programme (2001) 'The Convention on Biological Diversity, State Sovereignty and Indigenous Peoples' Rights'. Legal Briefing 1, November 2001. Moreton-in-Marsh: Fern and Forest Peoples Programme.
  7. Hyvarinen, J (2001) 'Strengthening the Convention on Biological Diversity'. Briefing Paper. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
  8. For a brief overview of the decisions taken at each COP see International Institute for Sustainable Development (2000) 'Earth Negotiations Bulletin', Vol. 9, No. 160, May. The regularly updated Earth Negotiations Bulletin can be accessed online at http://www.iisd.ca/. For discussion of the themes addressed at each COP see 'The History of the Biodiversity Convention', in Lovera, S (lead author) (2001) Forests and the Convention on Biological Diversity . Global Forest Coalition.
  9. See, Lovera, S (lead author) (2001) Forests and the Convention on Biological Diversity . Global Forest Coalition.

Dimensions of Diversity

What is Biodiversity?

  1. Posey, D (ed.) (1999) Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity . London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
  2. See Wilson, E. O (1997) 'Introduction', in Reaka-Kudla, M et al (1997) Biodiversity II . Washington D.C: Joseph Henry Press.
  3. See Wilson, E. O. and Peter, F. (eds.) (1988), Biodiversity . Washington D.C.: National Academy Press. See also, Wilson, E. O. (1997) 'Introduction', in Reaka-Kudla, M et al (1997) Biodiversity II . Washington D.C.: Joseph Henry Press.
  4. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2001) Handbook of the Convention on Biological Diversity . London: Earthscan.

What do we know about Biodiversity?

  1. Myers, N (1997) 'The Rich Diversity of Biodiversity Issues', in Reaka-Kudla, M et al (1997) Biodiversity II . Washington D.C: Joseph Henry Press.
  2. See Lovejoy, T. (1997) 'Biodiversity: What Is It?', in Reaka-Kudla, M et al (1997) Biodiversity II . Washington D.C: Joseph Henry Press.
  3. Stork, N. (1997) 'Measuring Global Biodiversity and its Decline', in Reaka-Kudla, M et al (1997) Biodiversity II . Washington D.C: Joseph Henry Press. page 65
  4. Stork 1997: 44
  5. See Stork 1997: 44. Calculations of overall rates of description for species appears to be similarly fraught with uncertainty and may vary considerably. See for example Erwin (same volume) on beetles for a detailed example.
  6. Lovejoy 1997: 7, Erwin 1997: 27, Stork 1997: 45. The overall figure of 12.5 million species is adopted by Stork (1997) and is commonly cited. The figure of 14,000,000 species used here is derived from the 2001 Global Biodiversity Outlook published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNEP. It should be noted that the authors of the Global Biodiversity Outlook emphasise that "the overall estimated total figure may be highly inaccurate" (SCBD - UNEP 2001: 61, Notes).
  7. Stork 1997: 45
  8. See Stork 1997: 60 for discussion and data tables. The IUCN 'Red List' of Threatened Species can be consulted on-line at http://www.redlist.org/

Cultural Diversity and the Conservation of Biodiversity

  1. A pioneer of this emerging debate was the late, and widely respected, Dr. Andrew Gray. See Gray, A (1999) 'Indigenous Peoples, their Environments and Territories', in Posey, D (ed.) (1999) Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity . London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
  2. Source: 'Genome 'treasure trove'' BBC News, Sunday, 11 February, 2001, located at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1164839.stm . For more in depth consideration of the implications of genetics research see: Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/ and Science http://www.science.com . For indigenous peoples perspectives on the new genetics, a series of useful primers and valuable list-serv, see the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism website at http://www.ipcb.org/ . It should be noted that mapping the human genome carried out by the Human Genome Project raised serious ethical and human rights issues, notably with respect to a failure to seek the prior informed consent of indigenous peoples to the mapping of their DNA and subsequent efforts to commodify human genes through the application of Intellectual Property Rights instruments, notably patents.
  3. See WWF/Terralingua (2000) Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of the World and Ecoregion Conservation: An Integrated Approach to Conserving the World's Biological and Cultural Diversity . Gland: WWF International.
  4. WWF/Terralingua 2000: 9. For detailed discussion on linguistic diversity see Maffi, L (1999) 'Language and the Environment', in Posey, D (ed.) (1999) Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity . London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
  5. See Maffi 1999: 24 for discussion.
  6. WWF defines an ecoregion as "a relatively large unit of land or water containing a geographically distinct assemblage of species, natural conditions, and environmental conditions", See also, Olson, D and Dinerstein, E (1998) 'The Global 200: A Representation Approach to Conserving the Earth's most Biologically Valuable Ecoregions' Conservation Biology , Volume 12, No 3, June, 502-515.
  7. WWF-Terralingua 2000: 19. See also Olson and Dinerstein 1998.
  8. WWF-Terralingua 2000: 22
  9. There is an enormous literature on this subject of which the following are a very limited selection. See Berlin (1992) Ethnobiological Classification: Principles of Categorization of Plants and Animals in Traditional Societies . Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. See also, Redford, K and Padoch, C (eds.) (1992) Conservation of Neotropical Forests: Working from Traditional Use . New York: Columbia University Press. Posey, D and Dutfield, G (1997) Indigenous Peoples and Sustainability: Cases and Actions . Utrecht: IUCN and International Books. Ellen, R (et al) (2000) Indigenous Environmental Knowledge and its Transformations . Amsterdam: Harwood academic publishers. Anderson, A (ed.) (1990) Alternatives to Deforestation: Steps Towards Sustainable Use of the Amazon Rain Fores t. New York: Columbia University Press.
  10. For a selection of indigenous peoples statements on these issues see Appendix 1 'Declarations of the Indigenous Peoples' Organizations', in Posey, D (ed.) (1999) Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity . London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
  11. See Oldham, P (1998) 'Cosmologia, Shamanismo y Practica Medicinal entre los Wothïha (Piaroa)', in Chiappino, J. and Ales, C (eds.) Del Microscopio a la Maraca . Caracas: ExLibris.
  12. This volume is a rich source of information and readers are directed to the papers collated in Chapter 4 of this volume entitled 'Voices of the Earth'.
  13. For a useful introduction to western concepts of the environment see Pepper, D (1996) Modern Environmentalism: An Introduction . London: Routledge.
  14. Article 1 of the International Labour Organisation's Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries reads "Self-identification as indigenous or tribal shall be regarded as a fundamental criterion for determining the groups to which the provisions of this Convention apply" (see WWF-Terralingua 2000:3, footnote 1. This provision has been increasingly incorporated into other international and national instruments.
  15. The data presented here should be regarded as indicative and the reader's attention is drawn to the discussion by Maffi (1999).
  16. The Ethnologue catalogue is the world's largest catalogue of languages, including sign languages, and can be accessed online at http://www.ethnologue.com/. It should be noted, that the Ethnologue Catalogue has been compiled by the Summer Institute of Linguistics based on efforts by protestant evangelist missionaries and linguists to translate the bible into indigenous languages. It is well documented that this raises serious questions with regard to respect for the rights of indigenous peoples.
  17. Shiva, V (1993) Monocultures of the Mind: Perspectives on Biodiversity and Biotechnology . London: Zed books and Third World Network.
  18. See Maffi 1999: 24 for sources of data presented here and discussion.
  19. UNESCO Press Release No.2002-07. See Wurm, S (2001) Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger of Disappearing. Second Edition. UNESCO Publishing.
  20. WWF-Terralingua 2000: 13
  21. It may of course strike the reader that this is a statement of the obvious. However, it is important to recall the legacy of neo-Darwinian and racist attitudes which informed, and continue to inform, policies directed towards the destruction or assimilation of indigenous peoples.
  22. The existence of this 'forgotten article' and its implications for the development of the Convention was first raised in Hyvarinen, J (2001) 'Strengthening the Convention on Biological Diversity'. Briefing Paper. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
  23. See UNEP/CBD/COP/6/7.
  24. The precedent for this is found in the history of the development of western taxonomy in Europe. See Ellen, R and Harris, H (1999) 'Embeddedness of indigenous environmental knowledge', in Posey, D (ed.) (1999) Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity . London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
  25. See SBSTTA Recommendation II/2 and COP5 Decision V/9.
  26. See, Forest Peoples Programme (2001) 'The Convention on Biological Diversity, State Sovereignty and Indigenous Peoples' Rights' Legal Briefing 1, November 2001. Moreton-in-Marsh: Fern and Forest Peoples Programme. See Falk, R (1997) 'The Right of Self-Determination under International Law: The Coherence of Doctrine versus the Incoherence of Experience,' in Danspeckgruber,W and Watts, A, (eds) (1997) Self-Determination and Self-Administration: A Sourcebook . Boulder: Lynne Rienner. See also, Warren, K (1998) Indigenous Movements and their Critics: Pan-Maya Activism in Guatemala . Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  27. An illustration of this is that references to cultural diversity and indigenous peoples are beginning to appear within the text of COP decisions. In addition, the recent 'Outline of the Composite Report on the Status and Trends Regarding the Knowledge, Innovations and Practices of Indigenous and Local Communities' prepared by the Secretariat contains very promising developments in this area (see UNEP/CBD/WG8J/2/5 and UNEP/CBD/COP/6/7)

Indigenous Peoples...

The convention on Biological Diversity

  1. The best source of detailed information on the Convention and its operations is provided in the 2001 Handbook of the Convention on Biological Diversity prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The majority of the information in this section is drawn from this extremely useful resource. The Handbook is also available online in individual chapters at http://www.biodiv.org.
  2. For a full list of Parties see http://www.biodiv.org/world/parties.asp. The various procedures for becoming a Party to the Convention are set out in Articles 33 to 36 of the Convention.

  3. Institutions of the Convention

  4. In April of 2001 the CBD opened the draft report of the technical expert group on forests to review through its website at http://www.biodiv.org. This provided an important opportunity to contribute to strengthening the report prior to consideration by SBSTTA7.
  5. See Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2001) Handbook of the Convention on Biological Diversity . Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. London: Earthscan. Page 71.

Subsidiary Agreements

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Relations with the other International Conventions and Agreements

  1. For a full list see page xxiii of the Handbook of the Convention

Related Processes

  1. Details of Official CBD meetings can be located under the 'Meetings' section of the CBD website at http://www.biodiv.org/.

Organisation of the work of the Convention

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Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities...

  1. See ten Kate, K and Laird, S (1999) The Commercial Use of Biodiversity: Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing . London: Earthscan.
  2. See for example, Juma, C (1989) The Gene Hunters: Biotechnology and the Scramble for Seeds . London: Zed. and Caufield, C (1985) In the Rainforest . London: Heinemann.
  3. Article 10(d) is also of relevance to indigenous peoples and local communities and specifies that Parties will "Support local populations to develop and implement remedial action in degraded areas where biological diversity has been reduced."
  4. See for example Crosby, A. (1972) The Columbian Exchange: Biological and cultural consequences of 1492 . Greenwood Press. See also Crosby, A. (1991) 'The biological consequences of 1492', North American Congress on Latin America XXV: 2:5-13, Sept 1991. Juma, C (1989) The Gene Hunters: Biotechnology and the Scramble for Seeds . London: Zed. Bray, W. (1993) 'Crop Plants and Cannibals: Early European Impressions of the New World', in Bray, W. (ed.) The Meeting of Two Worlds . Proceedings of the British Academy, 81. London.
  5. See Ten Kate, K and Laird, S (1999) The Commercial Use of Biodiversity: Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing . London: Earthscan.
  6. International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (2000) 'Analysis of the Nairobi resolutions and possibilities for implementation'. Briefing paper prepared by the Andes and Southern Cone. Spanish original.
  7. The Global Biodiversity Forum has a somewhat similar status under Decision V/21 paragraph 12 relating to cooperation.
  8. For a detailed and very useful discussion of this document and work at COP5 see, Scott, J (2001) 'Indigenous Peoples and the Convention on Biological Diversity: A report that examines Indigenous Rights to Cultural Heritage, Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge.' Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders Commission.
  9. For discussion of free, prior informed consent see, Carino, J (2001) 'Notes on Indigenous Peoples' Self-Determination and Free, Prior Informed Consent in the Development Process'. Presentation to the MacArthur Consortium Summer Institute on Human Rights, University of Wisconsin - Madison, June 21-24, 2001.
  10. The term "position" is used within international policy debates to describe the standpoint or argument adopted by governments in negotiations on a particular issue, i.e. forest biodiversity, traditional knowledge. Positions advance, retreat, are modified and abandoned in the course of the ebb and flow of the negotiations based on the general principle that a consensus decision should be achieved between the Parties at the conclusion of the debate. The Indigenous Forum develops positions on specific issues under debate as the basis for influencing (with luck and skill) the position of the governments and the final decision that emerges from the debate. Experience demonstrates that the positions adopted by the Forum are increasingly respected and taken seriously by the Parties but are not necessarily reflected in the final decisions taken by the Parties.
  11. 'Contact Groups' consist of groups of governments with a known interest in the issue under debate. Specific Parties may be invited to join in the contact group by the Chairperson. Contact Groups differ from Sub-Working Groups in that Parties are partially selected by the Chairperson and translation facilities are not provided.
  12. See 'Statement of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity' (IIFB/CBD/WG-ABS/1/Opening Statement and Recommendations/Final); 'Comments on Progress in Sub-Working Group 1' (IIFB/CBD/WG-ABS/SWG.1/Comments/Final); 'Closing Statement of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity' (IIFB/CBD/WG-ABS/1/Closing Statement and Recommendations/Final)
  13. For discussion of the outcomes of the Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing see, Weitzel, R (2001) 'Indigenous Peoples, Genetic Resources and the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing' International Development Research Centre, November 19, 2001.

From Policy to Implementation?

Introduction

  1. For discussion on free, prior informed consent see, Carino, J (2001) 'Notes on Indigenous Peoples' Self-Determination and Free, Prior Informed Consent in the Development Process'. Presentation to the MacArthur Consortium Summer Institute on Human Rights, University of Wisconsin - Madison, June 21-24, 2001.
  2. See Hyvarinen, J (2001) 'Strengthening the Convention on Biological Diversity'. Briefing Paper. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. In fact, the Parties themselves have recognised this problem and called for a reduction in the number and length of texts presented for negotiation under decision V/20. To date there is little evidence that this call has been heeded.
  3. See for example 'Statement of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity' (IIFB/CBD/WG-ABS/1/Opening Statement and Recommendations/Final), 22nd of October 2001, Bonn, Germany.

Regional Level

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National Level

  1. See Article 6 of the Convention which states that Parties will " (a) Develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity or adapt for this purpose existing strategies, plans or programmes which shall reflect, inter alia , the measures set out in this Convention relevant to the Contracting Party concerned; and (b) Integrate, as far as possible and as appropriate, the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies."
  2. CBD (2001) 'National Focal Points by Country Groups'. 6th of November 2001, Doc: nfp-cbd-grp.pdf.
  3. See http://www.biodiversity.org
  4. The idea of the adoption of an ecosystem approach to engagement with biodiversity and environmental processes was first raised by Joji Carino of the Tebtebba Foundation during the sixth meeting of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. It should be noted that the term 'ecosystem approach' as used here refers to a methodology for participation . Its potential relationship with the ecosystem approach as defined under the Convention requires further discussion (see decision V/6).

International Level

  1. See Lovera, S (lead author) (2001) Forests and the Convention on Biological Diversity: A Dossier of Relevant Articles and Decisions Prepared by the Global Biodiversity Forum . Global Biodiversity Forum.
  2. In fact a review of the roster of experts reveals that many of those included in the roster do not choose to register their area of speciality. This suggests that they are 'experts' in the ambiguous area of 'policy matters'.
  3. For an excellent overview on indigenous peoples and environmental agreements see, Carino, J (2001) 'Indigenous Peoples and Global Environmental Negotiations' (ms). See also, International Alliance of Indigenous - Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests and European Alliance with Indigenous Peoples (1997) 'Indigenous Peoples Participation in Global Environmental Negotiations', Indigenous Peoples Participation in Sustainable Development No. 2, September.
  4. See Griffiths, T (2001) 'Consolidating the Gains: Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Forest Policy Making at the United Nations.' Forest Peoples Programme Briefing. Moreton-in Marsh: Forest Peoples Programme. See also, Lovera, S (2001) 'A Tale of Two Cities: A Discussion Paper on the Relationship between the Convention on Biodiversity and the UN Forum on Forests'. Sobrevivencia/Friends of the Earth - Paraguay.

Conclusion

none

Executive Summary of COP5 Decisions

  1. The decisions of COP5 are also found within document UNEP/CBD/COP/5/23 published in Adobe Acrobat format in document "COP-5-dec-en.pdf" which can be located on the CBD website at http://www.biodiv.org/decisions/.
  2. The precautionary principle as set out in the 1992 United Nations Declaration on Environment and Development states that: "Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation".

Executive Summary Of COP6 Decisions

  1. UNEP/CBD/COP/6/7 (14 February 2002)
  2. UNEP/CBD/COP/6/WG.II/CRP.9 (16 April 2002)
  3. UNEP/CBD/COP/6/WG.II/CRP.9/Rev.1 (16 April 2002)
  4. UNEP/CBD/COP/6/WG.II/L.25 (18 April 2002)
  5. See paragraphs 13 and 14 UNEP/CBD/COP/6/7 (14 February 2002)
  6. See paragraphs 41 and 42 UNEP/CBD/COP/6/L.25 (18 April 2002)

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| Acknowledgements | About the Authors | Introduction | Dimensions of Diversity | Indigenous Peoples.. |
| From Policy to Implementation? | Executive Summary COP5 | Executive Summary COP6 |References |