The Hague, 19 April 2008 – UNPO will be launching an Appeal for greater inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in discussions on climate change as well as in the decision and implementation process thereof at the upcoming Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), to be held at the UN headquarters in New York between 21 April and 02 May 2008, with the special theme of climate change.

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established in 2000, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. It provides a platform for indigenous peoples to voice their concerns and dialogue with governments and the UN system about their concerns and brings together indigenous representatives and other attendees including parliamentarians, NGOs and academia, senior and other representatives Member States, UN system entities and other inter-governmental organizations.

In recognition of the growing threat to life and livelihood as a result of rising sea levels, deforestation, and the new focus on biofuels as an alternative to dwindling and insecure hydrocarbon resources, the special theme for this year’s UNPFII Session is: “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods, the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges”. A large number of UNPO Members will be attending the upcoming Forum including Member representatives of the Khmer Krom, Hmong, Chin, Cordillera, Ogoni, Maasai, Crimean Tatars, West Baloch, West Papua, Ahwazi, Iranian Kurds, Batwa, Uyghurs, Sindhi as well as of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. With such large concentration of UNPO Members present at the Forum, UNPO sees it as an excellent opportunity to launch its appeal.

Since traditionally marginalized and unrepresented peoples suffer the consequences of global climate change, while lacking the capacities to minimize or reverse the damages, and since these peoples have little representation in international forums for climate change and most often are not included in the international dialog concerned with finding solutions to these problems, the Appeal will call for greater inclusion of indigenous peoples not only in the discussions on climate change but also in the decision and implementation process thereof. It will also call for the inclusion of “indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities’ role in climate change mitigation” as a regular item on the agenda of all climate change and environmental meetings at every level, and an important point for consideration in policy making negotiations.

Last but not least, it stresses the need to protect the human rights of all nations and peoples, including their right to survive and to thrive as a community.

Appeal for Greater Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples

Global warming and climate change are issues that have become increasingly pertinent in recent years, affecting the environment for future generations across the entire globe. The environment is an intricately interdependent system which does not recognize national borders, and as such, will not remain solely a national interest. A clean global environment would benefit us all, but will only come about if all parties collaborate to develop a solution. This cooperation includes sub-state actors, typically marginalized communities, such as indigenous peoples, who experience the devastating impacts of climate change, but often do not possess the tools or opportunities to participate in a solution, and are incapable of implementing initiatives to mitigate the consequences.

The combination of deforestation, heavy industrialization and the use of fossil fuels, has caused severe global pollution and environmental degradation. Lush forested areas of South East Asia, in Burma, Thailand and Vietnam have lost unprecedented areas of land to deforestation due to development projects. This is particularly the case in Burma, where the Shan and Karenni State peoples have experienced massive human rights violations, displacement, and loss of livelihood due to deforestation in the Salween river valley. In other parts of South East Asia, in particular Indonesia, tropical storms and floods have increased, devastating significant parts of the region. The forced migration of people, due to climate change, will generate major conflict if the international community does not address the underlying causes.

Draughts, famines, decreasing drinking water supply, and rapidly changing agricultural landscapes are all results of desertification and have become increasingly common and devastating in Africa. Kenya has experienced massive demographic changes, as traditionally migrant peoples such as the Oromo and Maasai have been forced to move to the cities due to the loss of grazing routes due to desertification. Other places affected by desertification are Inner Mongolia, East Turkestan and Tibet, where people have limited autonomy over their own land. They are represented internationally by China, who has shown no interest in addressing environmental concerns in those regions.

Increasing global temperatures have had an enormous impact on sea levels as glaciers and mountain snows are melting in Polar Regions and high altitudes. The melting glaciers and the resulting avalanches have affected the highly agricultural peoples of the Caucasus, destroying cities in North Ossetia, Russia, and threatening other communities nestled in the fertile valleys of the Caucasus Mountains, including the Abkhazians.

Traditionally marginalized and unrepresented populations are suffering the consequences of global climate change, while lacking the capacities to minimize or reverse the damages. These populations have little to no representation in international forums for climate change and are not included in the international dialog concerned with finding solutions to these problems. Consequently, the resulting agreements fail to represent these communities by not taking into account their needs and concerns. In response to this alarming dilemma, UNPO:

You may wish to consult the UNPFII website for more information about the Forum at

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/.