Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Dec. 10, 2008
POZNAN, Poland -- Indigenous People trying to speak at the UN Climate Conference were slamdunked by proponents of the global carbon market scam, designed to enrich the World Bank and chosen corporations by way of the sale of fictitious carbon credits. The following video shows statements by two non-governmental organizations, before Indigenous Peoples were denied a voice. The Indigenous Peoples' censored statement, which was not read, follows the video.
Indigenous Peoples lands and forest are at risk in the carbon market schemes, which allows the world's polluters to continue polluting. In the censored statement, Indigenous Peoples point out that four countries -- the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand -- refused to vote in favor of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration, adopted by the UN, states that Indigenous Peoples have the right to "free, prior and informed consent," a right which is currently being denied to Indigenous Peoples in UN climate summits.
The censored statement points out that Indigenous Peoples denounce the "outdated colonial structures" of these four countries.
The carbon market scam is the latest corporate profiteering scheme, promoted by a duped media, which seeks to seize Indigenous Peoples land and forests around the world. The censorship of Indigenous Peoples at the previous UN Climate Summit in Bali in 2007 was one of Project Censored's most censored stories of the year.
The group of Indigenous Peoples are among the delegates attending the UN climate change gathering in Poznan. The forum is the half-way mark in the negotiating process leading up to Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009, where an a climate change deal will be finalizeed to follow on the first phase of the United Nation's Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Video from: Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: Approaches to stimulate action, of the 29th Session of Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)Watch video by Rebecca Sommer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brsqUgbBHu0
The following statement was NOT read:
Statement of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change
SBSTA
December 10, 2008
Chair,
We acknowledge the efforts of some Parties who have supported and worked with us to reflect our rights and our full and effective participation in this COP14. However, we DENOUNCE those Parties, including Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia who continue to exercise, outmoded, outdated colonial power structures that the rest of the world left behind decades ago.
We remind the parties that UNFCCC is NOT a consensus document AND perhaps a time has come for a simple majority vote that lets these four nations know how isolated their position is.
On the 60th Anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights IT IS APPALLING that any UNITED NATIONS BODY is still denies extending the Rights enshrined in this document to the Indigenous Peoples of the planet. It is a abrogation of BOTH the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Reference to the draft text ON SBSTA 29 agenda item 5, on REDD (Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action]. In the annex of this document, 1 (c ), we are profoundly disappointed that the Indigenous Peoples fundamental rights, INCLUDING the UNDRIP and other existing Human Rights instruments (Convention ILO169) are not included in the operative paragraphs of the latest document of SBSTA29 .
We, are just not ONE SINGLE indigenous people, as the document states. WE ARE a multitude of indigenous Peoples from multiple countries, with multiple languages, diverse cultures and background and experiences. TO REDUCE all this, to the concept of a singular unitary experience IS A DENIAL OF THE RICHNESS OF DIVERSITY THAT EXIST WITHIN, the framework of indigenous peoples as a collective of individual nations.
For this reason, WE, appeal to the UNFCCC and Parties take affirmative action to reaffirm the rights of Indigenous Peoples as codified in UNDRIP and other relevant Human Rights instruments (EG. Convention ILO 169). Any decision or measure that will be adopted at this COP, in particular the REDD process, must reaffirm the principle of free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples AND OUR RIGHT of the Indigenous Peoples TO SAY NO,. In that regard, Indigenous Peoples must be included as parties to official decisions, should be centrally involved in and benefit from, all climate change and forest programs and policies at all levels to ensure that they deliver justice and equity and contribute to sustainable development, biodiversity protection, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
We, demand an IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION of all REDD initiatives and carbon market schemes in Indigenous Peoples territories UNTIL Indigenous Peoples Rights are fully RECOGNIZED, PROTECTED AND PROMOTED.
Thank you.
Currently, the 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is underway in Poznan, December 1 - 12. It is the half-way mark in the negotiating process leading up to Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009, where an a climate change deal will be finalizeed to follow on the first phase of the United Nation's Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
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Impromptu protest by indigenous peoples to oppose draft REDD text
Over a 100 indigenous group leaders, including three members of the Papua New Guinea’s Eco-Forestry Forum, held placards outside the European Union pavilion
Wed, 10 Dec 2008
A PACNEWS SPECIAL REPORT
By Makereta Komai
POZNAN, POLAND --Local and international indigenous peoples groups staged an impromptu protest this evening (Tuesday), an hour before a contact group was to discuss the proposed new carbon trading mechanism, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).
Over a 100 indigenous group leaders, including three members of the Papua New Guinea’s Eco-Forestry Forum, held placards outside the European Union pavilion to protest against four Annex 1 countries attempt to remove their rights from the legal text of REDD.
PNG’s Ken Mondiai said they are ‘outraged’ by the actions of United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand’s ‘opposition to including the recognition of indigenous people’s and local communities in a decision drafted today.’
The 45 minutes contact group session scheduled from 4.30pm was cancelled without an explanation.
Both Australian and New Zealand delegates refused to comment on the claims of the indigenous people’s groups.
“These four countries want to include REDD in the future climate change agreement, but they oppose protecting the rights of indigenous and forest peoples who will be directly affected by REDD measures, said Mr Mondiai.
The NGO’s claim that during discussions this morning, the four countries insisted that the word ‘rights’ and references to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples be struck from the text.
“This is totally unacceptable for indigenous peoples, local communities as the forests being targeted for REDD are those which have sustained and protected them for thousands of years.
“Any REDD mechanism that does not respect and protect the rights if indigenous people’s and local communities will fail.
“We, therefore demand that an unequivocal reference to rights and to the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous People’s be reinserted into the draft COP14 decision text on REDD,” the group said.
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**Ms Makereta Komai is part of the Pacific Communications Team covering this event in Poznan, Poland
This event is officially known as the "14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 01 – 12 December 2008 Poznan, Poland."
PACNEWS coverage is made possible with funding from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
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REDD may harm forest people
Rhett A. Butler, http://www.mongabay.com/
December 2, 2008
A new report finds that the World Bank is not doing enough to protect indigenous rights under its mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).
REDD is a proposed mechanism to compensate developing countries for protecting their forests. The report — titled "Cutting Corners: World Bank's forest and carbon fund fails forests and peoples" — was issued by the Forests and the European Union Resource Network (FERN) and the Forest Peoples Program (FPP) at the start of UN climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland. "Cutting Corners" alleges that the Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) — which provides seed funding for REDD projects — has rushed its review process and is failing to follow its own rules set to protect indigenous people and forest communities.
Such groups fear that without a proper framework, REDD could be used by governments and carbon traders to force forest people off their lands. "In this flawed process forest communities have not been properly consulted. As a result, donors could be complicit in a new global drive reinforcing old top-down policies that will only lead to more forest destruction," said Saskia Ozinga, Coordinator of FERN. "We have seen from the EU's FLEGT process, which aims to control illegal logging, that a proper consultation process will take years, but trying to shortcut consultations will just lead to long-term failure."
"If measures to respect the rights of forest peoples are at the heart of efforts to combat deforestation, then forest and climate policies could do some good," added Tom Griffiths, Coordinator of the Forest Peoples Program's Responsible Finance Program.
"It is alarming that the early government plans, approved by the World Bank, are simply business as usual. None of these REDD plans deal with the critical issues of governance, human rights, land tenure reforms and Free, Prior and Informed Consent. "To attain sustainable forest and climate initiatives, forest peoples must be fully consulted about their design. International donors must also ensure that human rights and forest sector reforms are guaranteed before any international funding is released to developing countries for their national actions on forest and climate issues."
"Cutting Corners" comes shortly after Friends of the Earth International (FOE), an environmental activist group, announced its opposition to REDD via a report titled "REDD Myths". At the UNFCCC talks in Poznan, FOE says it will oppose attempts to include forests in carbon markets. "During the climate talks, we will be demanding that forests are kept out of carbon markets, that plantations are entirely excluded and land rights are enforced as the basis of any forest policy," said Joseph Zacune, Climate and Energy Coordinator with FOE.
"If governments are serious about tackling climate change, deforestation must be stopped once and for all. To do this we need to tackle the consumption of agrofuels, meat and timber products which is driving deforestation and support good governance of forest resources."
Other analysts say REDD — in a form that recognizes rural peoples' rights — offers the best hope for preserving forests in the future while simultaneously fighting global warming. "REDD can benefit biodiversity conservation as well as indigenous and rural peoples," wrote Daniel Nepstad, Stephan Schwartzman, and Paulo Moutinho in a report published last year. "To succeed, national REDD programs must be consistent with UNFCCC and other UN principles, be transparent and have the active involvement of indigenous peoples and forest communities."
"Rejecting REDD will not defend indigenous rights. Substituting official aid from developed countries for carbon market funding will not be a better, less risky alternative for reducing deforestation. Indigenous rights abuses, often caused by the same activities that drive deforestation, must be addressed directly."
References
Kate Dooley, Tom Griffiths, Helen Leake, Saskia Ozinga. Cutting Corners - World Bank's forest and carbon fund fails forests and peoples. FERN. November 2008.
Kate Dooley. An overview of selected REDD proposals. FERN. November 2008.
Ronnie Hall. REDD myths: a critical review of proposed mechanisms to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries. Friends of the Earth. December 2008.
Stephan Schwartzman, Daniel Nepstad, and Paulo Moutinho. GETTING REDD RIGHT - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Environmental Defense / The Woods Hole Research Center / Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM). December 2007
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