> Forum are outraged that their rejection of the carbon market has
> been ignored in the final report of the 7th Session of the United
> Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII). The final
> report of the PFII hails World Bank funded carbon trading, like the
> Clean Development Mechanism, as “good examples” of partnership
> despite the human rights violations and environmental destruction
> they have caused.
>
> “Indigenous Peoples attending the 7th session of the Permanent
> Forum are profoundly concerned that our key recommendations on
> climate change are not being taken into account by the Permanent
> Forum. This Permanent Forum was created precisely to recognize,promote, and support the rights of Indigenous peoples,” says Florina Lopez, Coordinator of the Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity
> Network of Abya Yala.
>
> Throughout the two weeks of the Permanent Forum, Indigenous
> community representatives have consistently testified about the
> injustices associated with the clean development mechanism projects
> and have asked that the Permanent Forum not promote the projects.
> However, in the final report of the Permanent Forum (document E/C.
> 19/2008/L.2) adopted today, these injustices have been ignored.
>
> In response, many groups under the name of the Indigenous Caucus of
> Abya Yala took the floor today to express their concerns. Their
> statement affirmed that the recommendations of the Permanent Forum
> do not properly reflect their positions. They used the opportunity
> to affirm their rejection of carbon trading mechanisms and concerns
> over specific implementations. Over 30 organizations at the forum
> called for the final report to include a section outlining their
> concerns.
>
> In the background paper for this session (Document E/C.19/2008/10),
> three projects are being upheld to illustrate the “clean
> development mechanism projects that are being implemented in
> indigenous peoples territories with good results.” However, there
> are grave problems with each of these projects including violations
> of the rights enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of
> Indigenous Peoples. For example, the Jeripachi wind power project
> in Colombia did not get the free, prior, and informed consent of
> the Wayuu people to build this wind farm in a sacred territory of
> the Wayuu People. Indigenous Peoples’ organizations contend the
> assassination of over 200 Wayuu People prior to the implementation
> of the project was to clear the area for this and other projects.
> Additionally, most of the energy generated from the wind farm is
> used to power the Cerrajon mine, the biggest open air coal mine in
> the world, which itself is known for numerous human rights
> violations and environmental damages. Representatives of the Wayuu
> people who attended the Permanent Forum didn’t even know the
> project was being promoted as a good example.
>
> “In promoting the clean development mechanism projects and carbon
> trading, the Permanent Forum is allowing oil companies who are the
> biggest emitters for greenhouse gases, to continue to pollute,”
> says Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous
> Environmental Network. “Promoting the commodification of the air
> is a corruption of our traditional teachings and violates the
> original instructions of Indigenous Peoples."
