Indigenous Peoples' Climate Change Portal

Raising indigenous peoples’ interests at the GCF is a long and continuing arduous process that requires a lot of energy and effort. Indigenous peoples have made significant inroads in the GCF and are opening spaces to meaningfully engage with the GCF at global and national levels...

This publication, published by Tebtebba, was conceived to consolidate the reports, letters and briefing notes of indigenous peoples’ engagement with the GCF thus far. It also aims to celebrate the achievements and account for the challenges and opportunities that indigenous peoples face in the Green Climate Fund.

The Fund’s Governing Instrument[1] - as well as other policies such as the Interim Environment and Social Standard (ESS)[2] and the draft Environment and Social Management Standard (ESMS)[3] - refer to the GCF’s obligation to fully and effectively engage with indigenous peoples in the design, development and implementation of the strategies and activities to be financed by the Fund, while respecting their rights. More recently, in its 15^th meeting, the Board has given a mandate to the Secretariat to develop a Fund-wide Indigenous Peoples policy for the Green Climate Fund for consideration at the 16^th meeting of the Board. [4]

The obligation to respect human rights and to engage indigenous peoples in climate change policies and actions has been explicitly recognized in the Cancun Agreement.[5] The need to respect the rights of indigenous peoples has been further reiterated in the preamble of the Paris Agreement.[6] The Paris Agreement goes on to acknowledge the positive contribution of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge systems in achieving its goals [7] and to recognize the need to strengthen practices and efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change. [8]

In this submission we present the recommendations of indigenous peoples organisations and support groups regarding the content, framework and purpose of an Indigenous Peoples’ Policy for the Green Climate Fund that can ensure that the objectives of these agreements are realized in practice while respecting the rights and interests of indigenous peoples.

Rationale

Indigenous peoples (men and women) play key roles in, and offer invaluable contributions to, climate change adaptation and mitigation through their traditional knowledge and sustainable resource management systems and practices, which are critical in achieving the goals of the Green Climate Fund. Despite their small carbon footprint, indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable to climate change and to the consequences of ill-conceived solutions to climate change, including specific adverse impacts on indigenous women.

An Indigenous Peoples Policy is required to provide guidance, due diligence rules and operational standards for the Fund, Accredited Entities and stakeholders in order to support countries in the implementation of their climate change programmes. The Policy could also, if well-designed, enhance the contributions of indigenous peoples to climate change solutions in line with the goals of this Fund, on a foundation of respect for their rights and wellbeing, and in a manner that can avoid future grievances. The policy will also allow for a comprehensive and holistic approach to indigenous peoples-related matters that pertain to the Fund’s activities and goals.

Attached please find an invitation letter and an application form for the project “Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Capacity Building on REDD+ for Forest-dependent Indigenous Peoples in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia Regions.”

THIS CALL FOR SUB-GRANT PROPOSALS IS EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 24, 2017 FOR BHUTAN AND VIETNAM ONLY.

Before completing the application form, we strongly recommend that you go through your country’s REDD+ related materials and meet with the REDD+ National Focal Point to understand what they have done, presently doing and future plans.  This will avoid duplication and/or overlap of activities.  Proposed projects should be aligned with the country’s REDD+ project and implemented in the same pilot area/s.

Should you have questions, kindly send an email to Ms. Helen Valdez at h.valdez[AHT]tebtebba.org.

Information on the project can be found here.

• Application Form
• Follow-up Action Plan
• Invitation