Natural Justice holds BLINC Workshop in Bangalore

BLINC, a two day workshop-cum-exhibition organised by Natural Justice and designed by the LED Laboratory at the Srishti School of Art,  Design, and Technology, was held in Bangalore on June 27 and 28, 2014. BLINC’s vision is to bring Balance in the Landscape though Imagination, Negotiation and Collaboration. The Workshop brought together NGOs, academics, activists, designers and individuals or groups interested in the overarching theme of ‘Asserting community rights over the environment’.

FAO's State of the World's Forests 2014 Report Published

FAO has just published 'State of the World's Forests 2014'. The report – available here, along with various other briefs - looks a the potential that the world’s forests, trees on farms, and agroforestry systems have in supporting the livelihoods of rural people by providing employment, energy, nutritious foods and a wide range of other goods and ecosystem services. There has been a lack of clear evidence of this, which the report seeks to address by systematically gathering and analyzing available data on forests’ contributions to people’s livelihoods, food, health, shelter, and energy needs.

"Catching a Leopard by its Tail": SBSTTA 18 Wraps Up, Ahead of COP12

SBSTTA Chair Gemedo Dalle Tussie

The 18th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) closed on 28 June 2014 after six intensive days of discussions and negotiations among the Parties and observers. In keeping with the format first used at the SBSTTA 17 in October 2013, the CBD Secretariat developed official and information documents, but left the task of developing draft recommendation to committees convened during the meeting. As the Chair of SBSTTA Gemedo Dalle Tussie (Ethiopia) stated in opening the meeting, this format was akin to catching a leopard by the tail, and once you have done so, you must hold on tight.

UN Human Rights Council Approves Resolution on Binding Standards for TNCs

The United Nations Human Rights Council has approved a resolution to start developing an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights. The resolution, presented by the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, South Africa, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, seeks to establish an intergovernmental working group with the mandate of developing an international legally binding instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations.

Despite intense opposition from several powerful countries, the resolution was finally adopted with 20 votes in favour, 14 against and 13 abstentions. All western states members of the Human Rights Council voted against the resolution. The majority of developing countries, including most of African states as well as China, India and Russia, voted in favour.

Natural Justice and ICCA Host Side Event at SBSTTA 18

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.

Ninth Issue of [square brackets] Published

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the CBD Alliance have jointly produced the ninth issue of the [square brackets] newsletter to coincide with the recent meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

This issue of [square brackets] includes articles on coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean, implementation of Aichi Target 3 in the livestock sector (by Mia MacDonald and Simone Lovera), and biofuel subsidies, among others. The ninth issue of [square brackets] is available for download here.

Exploring the Oil Palm Landscape in the Telupid Forest Complex

Meeting participants in Telupid. Credit: Forever Sabah

Oil palm is one of the biggest commodities in Southeast Asia and is often considered the backbone of the Malaysian economy. However, it has also had an undeniable widespread impact on tropical forests and on the thousands of Indigenous peoples and communities who depend upon them for livelihoods and survival. At the same time, a growing number of communities have small-scale oil palm plantations and are seeking ways to balance environmental protection with income generation.

In the heart of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, the  25-year initiative Forever Sabah is working to bring together communities, smallholders, large oil palm companies, government agencies, and NGOs to address these and other issues in the Telupid Forest Complex. From 23-25 June, a multi-stakeholder team from PACOS Trust, LEAP, Natural Justice, the Drainage and Irrigation Department, and the Forestry Department held meetings with oil palm smallholders and with the managers of a large plantation with high conservation value areas and a mill, in order to identify constraints, bottlenecks, and opportunities for further improvement. An additional series of meetings is being planned for July to explore the issues in greater detail.

For more information, please see: http://forever-sabah.com/news/first-steps-in-telupid/ and follow Forever Sabah on Facebook.

18th Meeting of the CBD SBSTTA Begins in Montreal

23 June 2014 marked the opening day of the 18th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) in Montreal. Several critical issues are on the agenda this year as the Parties prepare for the 12th Conference of the Parties in South Korea in October. These issues include synthetic biology, marine and coastal biodiversity, the fourth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4), invasive alien species, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and harmful incentives (link to meeting documents).

Synthetic biology is important for a number of reasons, including the potential for users to bypass the Nagoya Protocol through the transfer of digital information rather than genetic material itself. It is anticipated that countries in favor of synthetic biology will call for additional studies and argue that an agreed definition of the term is needed in order to delay any action on the matter by the CBD. However, several studies have already been undertaken, and extensive precedent exists for Parties entering into agreements despite a lack of of key terms being defined (i.e. the Cartagena Protocol). Marine and coastal biodiversity is also a key issue, and civil society has called for real action to address ocean acidification, underwater noise and marine debris.

Community land rights in the “Zero Draft” of the Post-2015 Agenda

The Secretariat of the International Land Coalition together with various partners, including Natural Justice, has produced a technical brief with suggesting improved targets on land rights in the “zero draft” of the Open Working Group 12 on the Sustainable Development Goals (June 16-20). This brief complements a first input that builds on the consensus achieved through the Global Land Indicator Initiative.

The necessity for land-concerned organisations and delegations to voice their concern is the speed with which negotiations are advancing, coupled with the ever-present risk that even basic wording on land rights will be substantially eroded in the process.

Natural Justice at IDLO Roundtable at WGRI 5 on Legal Preparedness Regarding NBSAPs

On 21 June 2014, IDLO and the CBD Secretariat hosted a Roundtable on Legal Preparedness for Implementing and Mainstreaming National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The event was designed to raise awareness of legal tools available to assist countries to use law to achieve the Aichi Targets and to allow Parties to share their experiences regarding implementation of their NBSAPs. Several countries shared their experiences, with many noting common themes such as inadequate awareness of legislation relevant to biodiversity; inadequate funding for biodiversity; and the related issue of difficulty with obtaining funds due to cost/benefit analysis that does not adequately capture the value of biodiversity.

Several organizations, including the ABS Capacity Building Initiative, the IUCN, and Natural Justice also gave interventions regarding their work. Jael Makagon highlighted the ICCA Legal Reviews coordinated by Natural Justice in 2012, noting that recognition of and respect for ICCAs is a way of achieving all of the Aichi Targets. While supportive formal law and implementation of law are crucial aspects of conserving and sustainably using biodiversity, achieving the Aichi Targets also needs institutional support as well. One way of doing so is for Parties to recognize and support ICCAs in their NBSAPs.

CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Dias provided closing remarks, noting that while the "political will" of government officials is important, the political will of society is even more important to put pressure on the government to achieve the goals of the CBD. He also highlighted the importance of governments partnering with communities to achieve the Aichi Targets, and hinted that the issue of traditional knowledge, which has been discussed for so many years at WIPO without much progress, will be taken up substantively at this year's Conference of the Parties.