Places and Spaces for Indigenous Peoples in Sustainable
Development
15h30 - 17h00
organised in collaboration with
CIEL
- The Center for International Environmental Law
and
SPDA - Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental
Sustainable development and wise environmental
policy and practice are inextricably related to full involvement
of all cultures, citizens, organisations and institutions. The development
of special policy and action has been one the major tasks of the
international environmental community and constitute one of the
cornerstones in the implementation of the Rio Conventions. The relevance
of traditional knowledge and the protection and revitalisation of
indigenous cultures have been recognised as one of the challenges
of the sustainable development agenda since it encompasses the recognition
of the rights of indigenous and local communities to be granted
equitable benefit sharing and protection over their knowledge, innovations
and practices, as well as to establish participation and co-management
alternatives for natural resources.
Presently, nations, indigenous and local communities,
specialised agencies and existing EMAs, are in the process of designing
and implementing standards and systems to guarantee the full involvement
of Indigenous Peoples in sustainable development initiatives, as
well as the equitable benefit sharing arising from the access and
use of biodiversity related traditional knowledge.
In the WSSD preparatory process the discussions
on traditional knowledge, intellectual property rights and benefit
sharing arrangements related to genetic resources has had a prominent
role in the negotiations on trade, biodiversity, forests, climate
change and water, and constitute one of the yardsticks for the assessment
of the implementation of Chapter 26 of Agenda 21 as well as of the
Rio Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification.
In this perspective, this workshop aims at
promoting a constructive dialogue between indigenous peoples, conservation
organisations, governments and trade and business related actors
to address the role of indigenous peoples and local communities
in the building of sustainable societies and fair trade practices.
Possible questions to be addressed
are:
- What is the role of indigenous peoples and local communities
in sustainable development and the implementation of the Rio Conventions?
- What are the linkages between biological and cultural diversity
and its trade implications?
- Are there good practices and valuable initiatives for the protection
of biodiversity related traditional knowledge and equitable benefit
sharing arrangements?
- What are the lessons learnt and future challenges in co-management
and participation initiatives on biodiversity conservation and
sustainable use involving indigenous peoples and local communities?
Guest speakers:
Debra Harry (USA), Indigenous Peoples Coalition
Against Biopiracy
David Vivas (Venezuela), CIEL
Victoria Tauli Corpuz (Philippines), Tebtebba Foundation
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