Globally, Indigenous solutions have set a precedent for successful action on climate change. In the Paris Agreement, we see recognition of this fact through the establishment of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform. This platform has three functions: knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices; capacity for engagement; and climate change policies and actions.
At COP23, the platform landed a momentous decision to adopt four principles put forth by the International Indigenous Peoples’Forum on Climate Change: i) full and effective participation of indigenous peoples; ii) equal status of indigenous peoples and Parties, including in leadership roles; iii) self-selection of indigenous peoples representatives in accordance with indigenous peoples’ own procedures; and iv) adequate funding.
Here in Katowice, we are seeking to operationalize this in the Facilitative Working Group, which includes the governance structure of the platform, the Facilitative Working Group (FWG), as well as the modalities for the development of a work plan.
These conversations have not been easy; as one negotiator put it: reaching “painful consensus”. Two key challenges include how to define “Local Communities” and whether to include the language “safeguarding the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of states”. Parties and Indigenous Peoples have spent many hours debating these two challenges. After a breakthrough on the concept of Local Communities fueled by an informal Tinku(meeting) held in Bolivia, the debate has settled on one single issue: Should language referring to safeguarding the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of States be included? And if so, how? Great… Nice to see that indigenous peoples still have to justify their own space within the world.
But, alas! On Wednesday afternoon after the room reached a potential deadlock, new proposals were raised in an attempt to find common ground. The COP23 decision regarding the platform refers to “balanced representation” with respect to the structure of the FWG and this was emphasized by the Indigenous Peoples Caucus during negotiations. Many voices around the table expressed a desire for the platform to be operationalized. Many parties also voiced a willingness to be flexible in the face of a lack of consensus. Last night an agreement was reached on some of the significant concerns of the negotiations. This leaves hope that negotiations will remain on track for a Friday deadline.
The voices of Indigenous Peoples must be centered in our global approach, as oftentimes we are the first to be affected by the impacts of climate change. An ideal outcome on the platform provides one vehicle for this to happen.
