Instituto del Bien Común

Instituto del Bien Común
Name	Instituto del Bien Común
Native name	Instituto del Bien Común
Formation	1989
Headquarters	Lima, Peru
Region served	Peru, Latin America
Type	Non-governmental organization
Purpose	Social research, public policy, community development

Instituto del Bien Común Instituto del Bien Común is a Peruvian non-governmental organization founded in 1989 that conducts social research, advocacy, and community development initiatives primarily in the Peruvian Amazon and Andean regions. The organization engages with indigenous federations, municipal authorities, academic centers, and international agencies to influence public policy and support territorial rights, biodiversity conservation, and participatory governance. Its work intersects with actors from civil society networks, regional development programs, and global environmental forums.

History

The organization was established in 1989 amid regional debates involving Mario Vargas Llosa, Alberto Fujimori, Alan García, Shining Path, and the aftermath of the 1980s internal conflict, drawing attention from institutions like Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, National Agrarian University La Molina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, and Ministry of Agriculture (Peru). Early projects addressed land titling and communal property along river basins such as the Marañón River, Ucayali River, Huallaga River, and linked to indigenous claims represented by federations like AIDESEP, FENAMAD, and CONAIE. Collaborations with international partners included engagements with United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and research exchange with Smithsonian Institution, Tropical Conservation and Development Program (University of Florida), and IUCN.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the institute worked on territorial planning in response to policies promoted by administrations such as Alejandro Toledo, Alan García (2006–2011), and Ollanta Humala, while navigating regulatory frameworks like the Peruvian Agrarian Law and debates over extractive concessions monitored by Peruvian Ombudsman (Defensoría del Pueblo). The institute's programs evolved alongside international agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity, Paris Agreement, and regional instruments negotiated within Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Mission and Objectives

The stated mission centers on supporting indigenous peoples, peasant communities, and local governments through research, capacity-building, and advocacy aligned with instruments such as the International Labour Organization Convention 169, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and directives from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Objectives include securing territorial rights recognized in rulings from courts like the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, promoting sustainable resource management informed by studies from institutions such as Conservation International, and strengthening participatory mechanisms used in processes overseen by entities like UNESCO and United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Programs and Activities

Programs encompass territorial delimitation, participatory mapping, community land titling, and environmental monitoring carried out with tools and methodologies derived from collaborations with Global Forest Watch, Rainforest Alliance, World Resources Institute, and university labs at Yale School of the Environment. Activities include training workshops for local leaders coordinated with federations such as Federación de Comunidades Nativas and municipal training programs linked to Asociación de Municipalidades del Perú, production of policy briefs cited by Peruvian Congress, and field research published alongside partners like CIMMYT, IFPRI, and IIED. The institute also engages in legal support in cases brought before bodies like the Peru Constitutional Court and regional human rights mechanisms including Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Organizational Structure

The institute is organized with a Board of Directors composed of civil society actors with ties to organizations such as Red Muqui, Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, and academic advisory from Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and San Marcos University. Operational units include research teams, field coordinators, legal affairs, and communications, working with networks like Amazon Watch, Forest Peoples Programme, and international NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace, and Oxfam. Regional offices liaise with municipal governments in departments such as Loreto, Ucayali, Madre de Dios, and Cusco.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources have included grants and technical cooperation from multilateral agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, European Union, GIZ (Germany), DFID (now FCDO), and bilateral aid from governments including Norway, Netherlands, and Canada. Partnerships extend to academic institutions like University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and regional think tanks including INDEPAZ and CIES. The institute has implemented donor-funded projects in consortiums with groups such as Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and Rainforest Foundation UK.

Impact and Recognition

Impact has been reported in titling of communal lands, participatory zoning plans recognized by regional governments, and incorporation of indigenous management practices into regional environmental plans cited by MINAM (Peru), SERFOR, and the Ministry of Culture (Peru). Recognition includes invitations to panels at events like the UN Climate Change Conference, awards from civil society platforms such as FIDH-affiliated networks, and references in policy analyses by World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank publications. Academic citations appear in journals associated with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and thematic series by Routledge.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have emerged from extractive industry stakeholders represented by chambers like Confiep and private concessions connected to companies such as Pluspetrol, Graña y Montero, and Barrick Gold, alleging obstacles to investment due to advocacy for indigenous rights. Some regional political actors and media outlets such as El Comercio (Peru), La República (Peru), and Perú21 have framed disputes over land titling and zoning as impediments to development promoted under administrations like Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Keiko Fujimori. Academic debates involving scholars from University of British Columbia, University of São Paulo, and Pontifical Catholic University of Peru have questioned methodologies in participatory mapping and impacts on local livelihoods, while legal challenges have intermittently reached agencies such as the Peru Constitutional Court and administrative tribunals.

Category:Non-governmental organizations based in Peru