On June 26, 2014, Natural Justice and the
ICCA Consortium held a side event during SBSTTA 18 on Indigenous peoples’ and
community conserved territories and areas (ICCAs) and how they can help in
achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The side event focused in particular
on Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), a type of ICCA that encompasses
coastal and ocean territories and areas. This topic was particularly relevant
given SBSTTA 18 Agenda Item 4 on marine and coastal biodiversity (link to agenda).
The side event featured two speakers, Onel
Marsadule, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Promotion of the
Indigenous Knowledge, and Taghi Farvar, President of the ICCA Consortium.
Onel's presentation focused on the Kuna Yala people of Panama, whose territory
includes a large marine ecosystem on Panama's Caribbean coast. Onel noted that
the Kuna people have their own system of governance for the protection of
marine and coastal biodiversity of their territory. For the Kuna, the
importance of protecting marine resources and ecosystems is not only food
dependency, but also on a holistic, cultural and spiritual relationship with
the marine ecosystems. The Kuna have codified their customary laws into a
written text, and one provision requires any project or activity affecting
natural resources and biodiversity (which would include marine resources and
biodiversity) to have an environmental impact study. He concluded by observing
that it is essential to recognize indigenous resource management of marine ecosystems
and called on Parties to strengthen customary laws and practices of
conservation and traditional institutions.
