CBD COP11: Indigenous rights to sustainable use must be protected

CBD COP11: Indigenous rights to sustainable use must be protected

Rio Conventions Pavilion TV, CBD COP11 (13/10/2012) – Joji Cariño, International Desk/Policy Advocacy Officer for Tebtebba, explains how the protection of the rights of indigenous and local communities is vital to sustaining biodiversity.

Cariño explains that she is interested in how the strategic plans on biodiversity can support indigenous people and local communities to continue with their traditional techniques for sustainable use of biodiversity. She describes this as a rights issues, with the rights of indigenous people to practice these traditional techniques needing to be maintained.

Cariño says that progress has been made, with parties now beginning to recognise that local and indigenous communities have been managing their environments sustainably for generations. However she asserts that now they need to match this recognition with policies that protect indigenous communities against third party incursions and misappropriation of their knowledge.

Cariño says that a high level of local control is important but that it needs supplementing with government measures and laws that protect local communities.