Message from Barcelona- Mr. Fiu Elisera
Copenhagen is already shaping up to be a huge disappointment for Indigenous Peoples, let alone Mother Earth. In a press statement that was released in Barcelona, Indigenous Peoples said that they were profoundly disappointed at the lack of political will and commitment of state Parties to conclude the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen with a legally binding agreement on ambitious emission reduction targets.
The Parties to UNFCCC and KP failed to sort out their differences in Barcelona and attempts to clarify their positions on many issues are proving to be ploys to delay any solid and legally binding agreements in Copenhagen. All this whilst Indigenous Peoples and populations in small island states continue to lose their lives and property as a direct result of climate change caused by these acts of irresponsibility and procrastination especially by developed country parties. Mother Earth too is hurting.
Some key issues remain unresolved and in some cases deepened, which is reflective of the projections by many for Copenhagen. The future of the Kyoto Protocol that spells out the legally binding emission reduction targets for developed country Parties continues to be threatened despite the strong calls by developing countries that they would not accept this. Developed countries were told in no uncertain terms that they have to stay true to the KP and seriously negotiate in Copenhagen a second commitment period for the KP for further emission reduction.
The very low level of emission reduction by developed discussed in Barcelona do not equate to a basis for an environmentally ambitious outcome in Copenhagen, as required by scientific assessments of IPCC. The continued attempts by developed countries to shift the burden of responsibility to developing countries violate the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC, KP and the Bali Action Plan.
Many other issues such as proposal to blur the distinction between the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and coin the phrase of differentiated responsibilities, attempt to get developing countries to adhere to new and broad reporting and verification procedures similar to developed countries, trying to get advanced developing countries to adhere to emission reduction targets, developed countries failing to respond to the finance proposals of developing countries that range from 1 to 5 percent of GNP, the reluctance of developed countries to agree to setting up an executive body under the UNFCCC to decide on technology issues and to effect technology transfer, the discourse over the “shared vision” and a long-term global goal for emissions reduction where some developed countries propose a global 50% emissions cut by 2050 compared to 1990 and a 80% cut for themselves but not stating that this requires developing countries to also cut by 20% in absolute terms and 60% in per capita terms, etc. are just some of the issues that still need political will to resolve if Copenhagen is to be a success.
Indigenous peoples around the world are therefore disappointed that despite the powerful speeches made by a number of developed country leaders about addressing the urgency of climate change, the rhetoric continues to have a range of grave implications for the effective enjoyment of indigenous peoples' human rights, including food sovereignty, health, traditional/ancestral knowledge, rights to their lands, territories and resources, cultural integrity and wellbeing.
Indigenous Peoples are confident that they have intrinsic contributions towards addressing the climate crisis through their traditional knowledge and customary resource management systems that have proven to be ecologically sustainable for generations and therefore critically important, and a matter of life and death for indigenous peoples that any agreement on climate change must ensure the legal recognition of their human rights and the protection of their traditional knowledge to achieve a just and equitable outcome in Copenhagen.
In their press release in Barcelona, Indigenous Peoples call on all state parties and the global community to fulfill and respect their current commitments and an outcome from Copenhagen must include:
1. A legally binding outcome in the form of an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol for the further commitment period 2013-2020.
2. A binding aggregate emissions reduction target for developed countries (Annex 1) of 49% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 95% by 2050.
3. Recognition that international human rights standards serve as a guide to tackle climate change, underscoring the fundamental, moral and legal obligations to protect and promote the full enjoyment of our human rights including our rights to lands, territories and resources, right to subsistence, food sovereignty, right of traditional knowledge and free, prior and informed consent, among others, as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
4. The full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in all climate change related processes at the global, national and local levels.
5. Ensure the direct financing to and by indigenous peoples and local communities for adaptation and mitigation measures.
6. Establishment of an Expert Group on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change under the Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC, and under the Meeting of Parties (MOP) of the Kyoto Protocol, with indigenous expert members and the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples.