International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity

International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity
Name	International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity
Formation	1996
Type	Non-governmental organization
Region served	Global

International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity is a global coalition of indigenous peoples' organizations and representatives formed to advocate for indigenous rights, traditional knowledge, and participation in international decision-making on biological diversity. It engages with multilateral processes, links grassroots indigenous movements with negotiators and treaty bodies, and interfaces with actors such as the United Nations, treaty secretariats, and regional indigenous networks. The forum operates at the intersection of indigenous advocacy, environmental diplomacy, and human rights, working alongside organizations and institutions involved in biodiversity governance.

History

The forum emerged in the mid-1990s amid negotiations that produced the Convention on Biological Diversity and parallel processes involving actors like United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Union (IUCN), and networks such as the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity’s antecedents. Early convenings involved representatives from federations including Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Saami Council, National Congress of American Indians, Assembly of First Nations, Federation of Indigenous Peoples of Suriname, and indigenous delegates to conferences like the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Key historical moments include participation at meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, interactions with the World Intellectual Property Organization, and inputs to instruments such as the Nagoya Protocol and discussions linked to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Over time the forum developed norms and strategies informed by cases such as debates around bioprospecting, intellectual property rights, and community protocols negotiated in regions represented by groups like Mapuche, Maya, Ainu, and Torres Strait Islanders.

Mandate and Objectives

The forum’s mandate centers on ensuring indigenous peoples’ effective participation in biodiversity governance alongside entities such as the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and regional bodies including the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Objectives include promoting recognition of indigenous rights affirmed in instruments like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, protecting traditional knowledge linked to biodiversity as in Convention on Biological Diversity Articles, advocating for free, prior and informed consent in projects tied to actors such as World Bank and Global Environment Facility, and influencing policy outcomes in arenas such as Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity meetings and related treaty negotiations like the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

Structure and Membership

Membership comprises representatives of indigenous organizations, regional coalitions, and customary authorities drawn from regions represented by institutions like Arctic Council, Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization states, and civil society networks such as Cultural Survival and Forest Peoples Programme. The forum operates through rotating coordination groups and spokespersons often drawn from organizations including Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin, Indigenous Peoples' Council for Governance of Protected Areas, and national entities like Inuit Circumpolar Council, National Congress of American Indians, and Assembly of First Nations. Affiliations and observers have included academic partners from universities such as University of British Columbia, Australian National University, and policy partners like Greenpeace and International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Activities and Influence

The forum organizes caucuses at international meetings, prepares position papers for events such as Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity sessions, and issues statements during multilateral negotiations involving actors like the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, World Intellectual Property Organization, and donor institutions including the Global Environment Facility. It facilitates capacity-building workshops with partners such as United Nations Development Programme, documents community protocols in cooperation with organizations such as Natural Justice and Terralingua, and supports litigation and advocacy linked to cases before bodies like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. Through engagement with treaty processes exemplified by the Nagoya Protocol negotiations, and links to initiatives like the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the forum has shaped language on traditional knowledge, customary sustainable use, and access and benefit-sharing.

Relationship with the Convention on Biological Diversity

The forum maintains sustained engagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Secretariat, participating as an indigenous caucus in Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity meetings, contributing to working groups including those on the Nagoya Protocol, and advocating for measures consistent with instruments like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It coordinates interventions that interface with parties such as Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and regional blocs including the African Union and the European Union to influence text on customary sustainable use, traditional knowledge protections, and indigenous participation mechanisms.

Regional and Thematic Working Groups

Regional working groups align with coalitions such as Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin, Saami Council, Inuit Circumpolar Council, and African networks that engage with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Thematic groups address issues including access and benefit-sharing linked to Nagoya Protocol implementation, genetic resources discussions resonant with World Intellectual Property Organization debates, customary sustainable use relevant to protected areas like those under IUCN categories, and climate-biodiversity intersections implicated in forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Criticisms and Challenges

Critics highlight challenges in representation, noting tensions between grassroots communities and larger regional organizations such as Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact or Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin, contestations over spokesperson legitimacy seen in cases involving Inuit Circumpolar Council and national delegations, and resource constraints linked to donors such as the Global Environment Facility and multilateral grants. Practical challenges include securing consistent accreditation at processes like Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity sessions, navigating intellectual property regimes under World Intellectual Property Organization, and reconciling diverse customary laws across peoples including Maori, Mapuche, Ojibwe, and Ainu. Political pressures from states such as Brazil, Australia, China, and Russia over territory and resource governance further complicate advocacy and implementation of protections for indigenous-held biodiversity.

Category:Indigenous rights