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Indigenous Peoples call for Climate Action at COP 26In November, IWGIA joined our Indigenous partners at COP26 in Glasgow. Our goal was to support their engagement, messages and mission to influence the outcomes of this key climate conference, continuing to call for, and ensure that, Indigenous Peoples, their rights and their lands are included, recognised and protected in climate policies and negotiations.
IWGIA's in-person delegation to the COP included eight Indigenous representatives from four socio-cultural regions of the world who brought their expertise, perspectives and demands to the COP.
Together with these partners, IWGIA co-organised three events during COP26:
A battle for peoples and planet – Indigenous Peoples’ rights in climate action under threat |
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Indigenous Peoples’ calls for climate action A screening of 4 documentary films giving voice to Indigenous Peoples from Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Myanmar |
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Acknowledging Indigenous Peoples’ technologies and identifying linkages with the UNFCCC Technology Needs Assessments |
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IWGIA’s reactions to the outcome of #COP26COP26 was attended by more lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry than representatives of Indigenous Peoples. This despite the well-known fact that Indigenous Peoples are better at protecting nature and biodiversity than anyone else. Therefore, despite their advocacy efforts in Glasgow, it was perhaps not surprising that the fight for keeping the 1.5-degree target alive, was in vain. Climate change is already impacting Indigenous Peoples around the world and will do so ever more in the future. Indigenous Peoples repeatedly raised this crucial point through their statements and events at their pavilion, which was supported by IWGIA. In addition, under their dedicated UNFCCC platform (LCIPP), Indigenous Peoples contributed with their knowledge towards climate solutions and delivered 11 specific recommendations at the first annual gathering of knowledge holders. Indigenous Peoples must have a voice when decisions are taken on climate action. When they are not given a voice, top-down climate policy can end up violating their rights on the ground. Under the Kyoto protocol, the Clean Development Mechanism led to displacement and other rights violations. Despite COP26 achieving a greater focus on human rights in the ruleset for Article 6, concerns remain of a repetition of past violations. Crucially, carbon markets under the Paris Agreement going forward, will, as a result of COP26, have safeguards including an all-important independent redress mechanism in place. At COP26, world leaders from more than 140 countries – that contain more than 90% of the world’s forests – committed to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. Linked to this, a number of financial pledges were issued, amongst these USD 1.7 billion to advance Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ forest tenure rights. This could potentially be good news for Indigenous Peoples, though it is important that these measures are implemented in full compliance with international human rights standards. There is an emerging tendency to view Indigenous Peoples as nothing more than a tool for forest conservation, which can be used by providing financial support. This would be a misjudgement from the world’s governments, as Indigenous Peoples offer holistic solutions to climate change. Many reject the prospect of receiving financial support through offsetting schemes which allow companies and governments of the industrialised world to continue their emissions as business as usual, so-called “green washing”. Finally, Indigenous Peoples did not get a guarantee for sufficient financial compensation for the loss and damage they suffer as a consequence of climate change. They also continued advocating for higher recognition of spiritual, cultural and other non-economic loss and damage. There is no doubt that “loss and damage” will be one of the main advocacy focuses at COP27 next year in Egypt. |
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Kenya: Landmark ruling - The cost of ignoring human rights and Indigenous Peoples |
| In a historic judgment by the Kenyan Environment and Land Court in Meru the title deeds of the land on which the Lake Turkana Wind Project (LTWP) sit have been declared “irregular and unlawful”. The case which began in October 2014 and finally ended on 19 October 2021 found that the title deeds were acquired irregularly. |
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Russia’s Indigenous Peoples call for international support to save the Arctic |
| Shifting to electric vehicles (EV) is seen as an important step towards a greener future. However, the process of extracting nickel, a crucial component of EV batteries, very often is not environmental-friendly. The world’s largest producer of nickel, Nornickel, has been destroying the environment and violating Indigenous Peoples’ rights in the Arctic for decades. Indigenous Peoples are now trying to bring the international community’s attention to the problem with the hope of protecting their ancestorial lands. |
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Indigenous woman human rights defender arrested and detained in Algeria |
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On 24 August 2021, Indigenous Peoples human rights defender Kamira Nait Sid was abducted in the town of Draa-Ben-Khedda in northern Algeria by unidentified men and detained in an unknown location for seven days. After several days of her family, friends and colleagues not being able to contact or locate her Algerian security forces confirmed she was in police custody. |
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Civil society calls on world leaders to put human rights at the centre of environmental policy |
| Over 150 civil society organisations and academics sign open letter calling on world leaders to integrate human rights into global and national environmental policy and practice |
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Upcoming International Events and Calls for Input |
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10th Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights |
Date: 29 Nov–1 Dec 2021 Theme: The next decade of business and human rights: increasing the pace and scale of action to implement the Guiding Principles on B&HR |
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RightsCon 2022 |
The Call for Proposals is now open for RightsCon, the world's leading summit on human rights in the digital age! RightsCon 2022 will be held online from Monday, June 6 to Friday, June 10, and will bring together a projected 10,000 participants from 150 countries. The program is sourced through the Call for Proposals, and will support 350+ sessions across 15+ program categories. Hosting a session is an opportunity to showcase your work, build facilitation and leadership skills, and tap into a global network of activists and experts. The deadline to submit a proposal is January 13, 2022 at 23:59 Pacific Standard Time. |
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EMRIP Calls for Input |
The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples #EMRIP requests contributions from #IndigenousPeoples, States, National Human Rights Institutions, academics and other stakeholders for its report on "The militarization of indigenous land: a human rights focus” Submissions should be sent no later than 31 January 2022, in English, French or Spanish, in WORD format and no longer than 5 pages. |
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The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples #EMRIP requests contributions from #IndigenousPeoples, States, National Human Rights Institutions, academics and other stakeholders for its study on "Treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements, between indigenous peoples and States, including peace accords and reconciliation initiatives, and their constitutional recognition." Submissions should be sent no later than 31 January 2022, in English, French or Spanish, in WORD format and no longer than 5 pages. |
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International expert meeting on Indigenous Peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence, including free, prior and informed consent |
UNDESA is organizing an international expert meeting on Indigenous Peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence, including free, prior and informed consent on 6 to 10 December 2021. Registration is open for the following: |
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Mining activity in the Peruvian Amazon is impoverishing the Arakbut Indigenous People |
| Polluting and destroying the territory is not the path to a fulfilling life. The Arakbut are turning to mining in the belief that it will make them rich but, in the meantime, wild animals are becoming scarce, fish is poisoned and forest food is becoming insufficient. Because of mining, Indigenous communities are becoming more dependent on the cash economy. The Arakbut people need to rebuild their autonomy, governance and self-determination in order to reverse this environmental damage. |
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Leco Indigenous People in Bolivia being slowly poisoned with Mercury |
BY KAREN GIL Over the last few years, mining activities in the Kaka River have intensified and the use of mercury to amalgamate the precious metal has increased. The Leco indigenous peoples grow their food and fish in these polluted lands and waters. Even though the risks are clear, no research has been carried out to determine how much the health of the community is affected and exposed, and there are no public policies to take care of them. |
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Lessons from the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord |
| BY RAJA DEVASISH ROY With almost 24 years passed since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, its lack of implementation has reached alarming levels and human rights violations persist. In addition to the ongoing deployment of military and paramilitary forces, land grabbing of Indigenous territories continues apace. Communities have no possibility of complaining about non-compliance because the agreement does not have the status of an international treaty. |
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Special Issue: Indigenous Children |
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Indigenous Peoples Self-Governance |
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Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation |
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Debates Indígenas is a joint initiative between IWGIA and Ore. It is a digital magazine that aims to address the struggles, achievements and challenges of Indigenous Peoples, grounded in an understanding and perspective of their territories and communities, bringing academic knowledge and the commitment to activism together into one forum. Our vision is to become a means of communication and reference for Indigenous Peoples, as well as a tool that contributes to the defence of human rights and nature. |
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Radio Encuentros is IWGIA's Spanish audio resources platform. The radio programmes address different aspects of the situation of Indigenous Peoples and are free to download. (Spanish). |
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La luz de la sombra: la autonomía guaraní de BoliviaUbicado en el sureste de Bolivia, Charagua es uno de los municipios más grandes del país y alberga aproximadamente a 70 comunidades indígenas guaraníes. La población guaraní constituye casi la mitad de las personas que viven en Charagua. Durante los últimos diez años, los guaraníes de Charagua Iyambae han trabajado para crear el primer gobierno autónomo de Bolivia para los pueblos indígenas. Junto con los ciudadanos no indígenas, como los menonitas, los colonos de origen andino y otros individuos blancos / mestizos que viven mayoritariamente en el centro urbano, Charagua es una comunidad pluriétnica y multicultural y un complejo intento de autogobierno indígena. Este breve documental pone de relieve algunas de esas voces que trabajan para hacer de esta autonomía un logro duradero para las comunidades indígenas en todas partes, pero especialmente para la comunidad Guaraní. El documental fue dirigido y producido por Steven Luna y Adriana Gramly con el apoyo del IWGIA y la Autonomía Indígena de Charagua Iyambae. |
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Protección de territorio ayoreo en aislamiento en BoliviaCerca de 150 ayoreo en aislamiento voluntario sobreviven en el monte chaqueño en la frontera entre Bolivia y Paraguay. Para preservar la cultura y las formas de vida ayorea es indispensable cuidar los ecosistemas y no interferir en sus condiciones de vida. Hoy es el momento de realizar acciones conjuntas y direccionadas a la preservación de los bosques chiquitanos y chaqueños, que han sufrido los peores incendios forestales de su historia en los últimos años. En este marco, la Autonomía Guaraní de Charagua está considerando la posibilidad de crear una categoría especial de área protegida, con carácter de intangibilidad, para garantizar la decisión autónoma de no contacto de los ayoreo aislados. |
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IWGIA’s Recent Publications: |
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Every day, we’re digitising and uploading more of our publications |
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