Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change

Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change
Name	Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change
Date	2009
Location	Bonn
Participants	Indigenous leaders, activists, scholars

Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change was an international gathering held in Bonn in 2009 that brought together Indigenous leaders, activists, and observers to assert Indigenous rights in the context of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, intersecting with debates at the Conference of the Parties and engagements by bodies such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The summit connected diverse constituencies from the Amazon rainforest, Arctic, Central America, Pacific Islands, and Sub-Saharan Africa to discuss Indigenous knowledge in relation to emissions reduction mechanisms like REDD+ and frameworks like the Kyoto Protocol and the emerging Paris Agreement negotiations. It positioned Indigenous demands alongside campaigns by organizations including Survival International, Greenpeace International, International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, and indigenous networks such as Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas.

Background and Origins

The summit emerged from intersections among activism around the Kyoto Protocol review, mobilizations linked to the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference and the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference preparations, and longstanding transnational Indigenous organizing tracing to events like the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989. Key precursors included regional gatherings in the Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific, assemblies of the Saami Council, and deliberations by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Indigenous delegations coordinated with civil society actors from Friends of the Earth International and legal experts from institutions such as the International Labour Organization.

Objectives and Themes

Primary objectives included asserting collective rights under instruments like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, critiquing market-based mechanisms exemplified by REDD+ and carbon trading schemes brokered at COP15, and demanding recognition of territorial sovereignty affecting territories in the Boreal forest and Amazon Basin. Themes integrated Indigenous ecological knowledge drawn from contexts including the Yukon and Patagonia, protection of customary land tenure as recognized by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and resistance to extractive projects tied to corporations such as multinational mining firms and energy companies operating in regions like Alaska and Chubut Province. The summit foregrounded proposals for community-based adaptation resonant with protocols advanced by the Global Indigenous Peoples' caucus.

Participation and Representation

Delegations represented Indigenous peoples from diverse nations and organizations such as the Maya peoples of Guatemala, Quechua and Aymara communities of the Andes, Inuit organizations from Greenland and Nunavut, Pacific delegations from Fiji and Kiribati, and African contingents including groups from Kenya and Botswana. Participation included leaders affiliated with the National Congress of American Indians, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Saami Council, alongside observers from the United Nations Development Programme and legal advisors from the Center for International Environmental Law. Representation raised questions about elders' authority, youth networks linked to Indigenous Environmental Network, and transnational advocacy by entities such as Amazon Watch.

Key Outcomes and Declarations

The summit produced collective statements affirming rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and issuing calls to halt projects violating free, prior and informed consent as enshrined in ILO Convention No. 169 and referenced by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Delegates issued critiques of REDD+ pilot projects in the Mato Grosso and Madre de Dios regions and demanded safeguards against land grabbing tied to biofuel investments and carbon offset schemes promoted by firms active in the European Union carbon market. The summit advanced policy recommendations for inclusion in submissions to the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties and coordinated joint interventions at subsequent COP sessions.

Influence on International Climate Policy

The summit influenced negotiations by amplifying Indigenous positions within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, informing discussions at the Human Rights Council and prompting engagement from delegations such as Bolivia, Ecuador, and Norway that advocated Indigenous rights in climate fora. Its advocacy contributed to broader scrutiny of REDD+ safeguards adopted under the Cancun Agreements and to increased reference to Indigenous knowledge in adaptation funding mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund. The summit's mobilization intersected with litigation trends before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and policy shifts within multilaterals including the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics argued the summit faced challenges of representation amid disputes between national delegations and grassroots communities, and questioned alliances with NGOs accused of instrumentalizing Indigenous voices, including tensions involving Conservation International and corporate partnerships with energy firms in regions like Peru. Some scholars cited risks of co-optation by market mechanisms, noting debates over commodification of carbon and intellectual property concerns linked to traditional knowledge in contexts governed by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Others highlighted logistical inequalities affecting participation from remote constituencies like Torres Strait Islands and Sápmi.

Legacy and Ongoing Initiatives

The summit’s legacy endures through strengthened Indigenous caucuses at successive COP meetings, continued advocacy through platforms like the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, and ongoing initiatives in community-based conservation across the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Boreal regions. It catalyzed legal strategies invoking instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in national courts and contributed to the formation of networks linking Indigenous youth and elders with organizations like Forest Peoples Programme and Cultural Survival. The summit remains a reference point in debates about climate justice, territorial sovereignty, and the role of Indigenous knowledge in shaping international climate governance.

Category:Climate change conferences Category:Indigenous rights events