Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change

A Maori friend and colleague, Sandy Gauntlett, from Aotearoa (New Zealand)
asked Global Justice Ecology Project to forward this message in an effort
to collect signatures prior to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change in Poland later this year. If your organization can sign on,
please respond to Sandy sandyoceania@yahoo.com and to Joe
Zacune <mailto:joseph.zacune@foei.org>joseph.zacune@foei.org.

In solidarity,

Global Justice Ecology Project staff
------------
Kia Ora Koutou (greetings All)

Attached is the final statement from the Indigenous Peoples Forum on
Climate Change at the Accra meeting on REDD (the UN Climate strategy
called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries).

You will notice at the end of the statement we are calling for supporting
organisations (both indigenous and NGO) to send in signatures for this so
we can build towards getting some of the issues formally on the agenda for
the UN Climate Convention in Poznan, Poland this December.

If you do have any signatures, please send them to me at
<mailto:sandyoceania@yahoo.com>sandyoceania@yahoo.com and to Joe at
<mailto:joseph.zacune@foei.org>joseph.zacune@foei.org so that we can
gather and collate them all.

Please send this message around your networks for as many signatures as
possible:

Statement from the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change

Sir (Madam) Chair

We, the Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change would like to reiterate
that this meeting on REDD convened in the city of Accra, Ghana is held at
a time when the climate negotiations are at an absolute crossroads in
terms of the future of our planet.

We have the opportunity to recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous
Peoples and to incorporate these issues into the basic framework of the
climate convention so that we all progress down the road of finding
workable solutions to the problems presented by climate change as equals.
On the other hand, we face the very real danger that the decisions we make
here today will be in breach of the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples and will set back the fight for justice on
many fronts.

Likewise the decisions that we make on the future of the REDD discussions
must ensure that if this is to progress, it does so in a manner designed
to enhance human rights, ensure real reductions in Greenhouse gas
emissions at source, and in a manner designed to recognize, protect and
preserve the issues of social justice and economic equity.

To that end, in order to ensure that any agreement on forests is based on
the full implementation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, we again call on the Parties to the Framework
Convention on Climate Change gathered here in Accra to:
1) Establish a formal recognition of the Indigenous Forum on Climate Change.
2) Establish a voluntary fund to facilitate the full and effective
participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities with all levels
of the convention.
3) Insist that whatever mechanism goes forward from this meeting on REDD
includes the necessity of the free, prior and informed consent of
Indigenous Peoples (including complete and timely access to information).
4) The clear recognition of Indigenous Peoples as guardians and protectors
of the forests which form an integral part of their traditional lands and
territories, and which form the basis for a large part of their
traditional knowledge.
5) The rights of Indigenous Peoples to expect a secure and permanent land
tenure system which recognizes and entrenches traditional lands and
territories in the hands of the traditional owners of these lands.
6) Given that in the REDD talks we are addressing approximately 18% of
total GHG, the REDD discussions must not be seen as a way of annex one
nations abrogating their responsibilities in terms of real and permanent
reductions in their domestic emissions.

Sir/ Madam, we recognize that Indigenous rights are but a part of the
necessary mechanisms that we must all undertake to fight climate change
and we wish to signal that we, as Indigenous Peoples are prepared to play
our part in that fight but that this must be done as equals. To this end,
we invite the signatures of our friends and colleagues from NGOs and the
rest of civil society to endorse this historic statement which we
sincerely hope heralds a new era in the climate discussions. One in which
we come together as a united planet to fight a common enemy, one in which,
at least temporarily, we are prepared to put aside our sometimes
considerable differences in order the common good might prevail. We would
also like to welcome the signatures of those nations who see this as an
opportunity for real change.

Thank you

Signatories
Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change
Friends of the Earth International
Global Forest Coalition
PIPEC (Pacific Indigenous Peoples Environment Coalition.)
Friends of the Siberian Forests
Indian Treaty Council
Global Justice Ecology Project