UN Indigenous Forum: Reject commercialization of forest carbon

World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth
May 18, 2011

(New York, May 18, 2011) During the sessions that are being developed at the tenth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues UN, from 16 to 27 May 2011, the delegation of Bolivia, along with other representatives of indigenous peoples and communities, that integrate indigenous organizations and international associations from around the world have reaffirmed their strong rejection to the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, better known by the name of REDD, because it promotes the commodification forests and affect the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

In his speech, Ambassador Pablo Solon, of the Bolivian delegation, said that Bolivia "did not support the misnamed" Cancun agreements "because they set promises to reduce emissions greenhouse gases that lead to an increase in temperature of 4 degrees Celsius so far this century. If that happens there will be serious consequences for all peoples of the world, many island states will disappear. Desertification will be enhanced in several regions, particularly in Africa and in the case of my country, a country of mountains with snow, we see that it lost a large part of our hills glaciers have a very negative impact on water supply biodiversity and agriculture in the economies of indigenous peoples and peasants. "

Also, referring to the initiative of REDD, and that is within the misnomer of "Agreements in Cancun," said: "We do not share the vision of commercializing the forests and the provision of environmental services from them. We believe it is necessary to preserve the forests and ensure the rights of indigenous peoples but this can not occur through a mechanism that you are looking to put a price on environmental services that forests provide, and then issue certificates to place emission reduction in a carbon market which will benefit mostly transnational corporations from developed countries to the north. With these certificates of emission reduction of our forests developed and industrialized companies in breach of its commitments to reduce emissions, since all you have to do is show they have purchased one of these certificates in order to justify their lack of emission reduction greenhouse gases. "

Solon Ambassador, stated that "there must be a financial reward to countries that preserve forests and indigenous peoples, but the financial rewards should not be based on market mechanisms but has to be established through a tax mechanism financial transactions that will generate funds without any conditionalities. "

In this measure, recommended to the Permanent Forum "to conduct a comprehensive study on the implications of emissions reduction certificates of emissions of greenhouse gases on the rights of indigenous peoples, because once you issue a certificate of reduction emissions and purchase a third party outside the country, a situation of conflict with the rights of indigenous peoples must first be analyzed and studied before being implemented and developed. "

"This vision of commercializing nature against the current is precisely the vision of indigenous peoples have always been the most respectful, the promoters of a life in harmony with nature, of seeing nature not as an object, not a thing but as our home, as a system, and the community in which we all live and which we all depend. We believe that by the Rio +20 Conference, instead of promoting the commodification of nature through the so-called green economy we need more good progress on the path of recognizing the rights of nature, because nature also has a right to exist has the right to reproduce and is entitled to a healthy life, "said Ambassador Solon.

In addition, organizations of the Andean Community of Knowledge Integrator (CISA) in Ecuador, the Center for Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples Accessory (CEDHAPI) of Mexico, the International Commission on Indigenous Peoples Art (CIAPI), the consulting of Indigenous Peoples in northern Mexico (CPINM), the North American Caucus, the representation of Indigenous Women, among others, expressed their rejection of REDD policies and initiatives that are part of the so-called green economy and that constitute another of the false solutions.