Traditional Knowledge Bulletin |
- Funding opportunities: UN Voluntary Fund on Indigenous Populations and Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues
- Meeting review: ITPGR GB 5
- Meeting review: Expert workshop on contribution of indigenous and local knowledge systems to IPBES
- This week in review … WIPO Assembly approves new IGC mandate
- Resource: QUNO paper on preventing conflict around water, land and food
- This week in review … Traditional farm practices hold promise for watershed management in the Philippines
Funding opportunities: UN Voluntary Fund on Indigenous Populations and Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:27 AM PDT UN Voluntary Fund on Indigenous Populations – Call for applications to attend UNPFII 13 and EMPRIP 7 The UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations gives indigenous peoples the opportunity to participate in the sessions of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), the Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies. The deadline to submit applications to attend the 13th session of the UNPFII, to be held from 12-23 May 2014, at the UN Headquarters in New York, and the 7th session of the EMRIP, to be held from 7-11 July 2014, in Geneva, Switzerland, is 1 November 2013. Download the application form [doc] … Further information on the Voluntary Fund … Download the OHCHR publication Human Rights Funds, Grants and Fellowships: A Practical Guide for Civil Society [pdf] … Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues – 2014 Call for Proposals The deadline for applications in response to the 2014 call for proposals is 1 November 2013. Applications are to be submitted to indigenousfund@un.org, or by post to the Permanent Forum Secretariat. Priority will be given to projects that focus on: culture (with a specific focus on indigenous languages); and the environment (with a specific focus on the principle of free, prior and informed consent). The proposals will be assessed by the Bureau of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2014 and successful applicants will receive notice thereafter. Projects may be submitted in English, French, Spanish or Russian. Further information … Download the guidelines [pdf] … Download the application form [doc, English] … |
Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:23 AM PDT Fifth session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture The meeting launched an intersessional Ad Hoc Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS), which is mandated to develop measures to increase user-based payments and contributions to the Benefit-sharing Fund, as a priority, as well as "additional measures" to enhance the functioning of the MLS. Delegates described this outcome as pivotal for the future development of the Treaty, noting that the process will provide much needed direction towards enhanced implementation, in view of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Nagoya Protocol on ABS. In addition, the meeting adopted a work programme on sustainable use and a resolution of farmers' rights that were welcomed as significant progress towards implementation; and resolved outstanding issues on compliance, rendering the Treaty's compliance mechanism fully operational. Farmers' rights were the subject of intensive debate, and are addressed in the resolutions on implementation of Article 6 (sustainable use) and implementation of Article 9 (farmers' rights). In the resolution on Article 9, the GB requested the Secretariat to: review knowledge, views and best practices, including from farmers' organizations, to systematically derive examples as options for national implementation, as appropriate and according to national legislation, for GB 6 consideration; report on discussions related to farmers' rights within FAO fora, including the Committee on Food Security; invite UPOV and WIPO to identify possible areas of interrelations among their respective international instruments; and facilitate support to parties in building capacity for the implementation of farmers' rights, upon their request. Parties are invited to take the initiative to convene regional workshops on farmers' rights, and consider: developing national action plans for the implementation of Article 9, as appropriate and subject to national legislation; reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting national measures affecting the realization of farmers' rights; and providing financial and technical support for the implementation of farmers' rights in developing countries, and enabling farmer organization to attend Treaty meetings. In the resolution on sustainable use, the GB requests parties to promote, as appropriate, access of all farmers to genetic resources in the MLS and the widening of genetic diversity of crops in use. It requests the Secretariat to work with parties, networks and partners to promote the conservation and use of local and locally adapted varieties, underutilized crops and their knowledge systems, crop cultures and associated landscapes; and decides to reconvene twice the intersessional committee on sustainable use of PGRFA, to provide advice to the Secretariat on coordination of the work programme and the development of the toolbox on sustainable use, and prepare a set of options for parties' consideration in national implementation of farmers' rights. Visit the meeting webpage … Read the IISD Reporting Services summary and analysis of the meeting … |
Meeting review: Expert workshop on contribution of indigenous and local knowledge systems to IPBES Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:21 AM PDT International Expert and Stakeholder Workshop on the Contribution of Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems to IPBES: Building Synergies with Science The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has released the report of the international expert and stakeholder workshop on the contribution of indigenous and local knowledge systems to IPBES. The workshop was convened by the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, co-organized by the United Nations University (UNU) and UNESCO, and hosted by Japan's Ministry of Environment. The report summarizes discussions on opportunities, challenges and needs with respect to indigenous and local knowledge in the IPBES framework, and identifies appropriate procedures and approaches for creating synergies between science and indigenous and local knowledge in regard to four themes: rethinking relationships between science and indigenous and local knowledge; fundamental aspects of indigenous and local knowledge; principles for engagement with holders of indigenous and local knowledge; and capacity-building needs. The report notes consensus among experts at the workshop that substantial effort is needed to satisfy the IPBES Work Programme objective to develop an adequate and comprehensive set of principles and procedures for building synergies between knowledge systems. Recommendations focus on approaches and procedures for working with indigenous and local knowledge in the IPBES framework, as well as an IPBES conceptual framework itself. In regard to approaches and procedures, recommendations include recognizing indigenous peoples and local communities as having a distinct status as knowledge-holders and rights-holders; putting in place mechanisms to ensure attention to gender-specific knowledge and gender balance; establishing a working group composed of indigenous and local knowledge-holders and scientists; and using a wide variety of media, languages, forums and communication processes to maximize participation and learning from indigenous and local knowledge-holders. The report will be presented for further consideration at the second session of the IPBES Plenary, to be held from 9-14 December 2013, in Antalya, Turkey. Visit the workshop's webpage … Download the report [pdf] … |
This week in review … WIPO Assembly approves new IGC mandate Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:19 AM PDT WIPO Assembly Approves New Work Mandate on GR, TK Protection GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: The World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly renewed the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC). The full membership approved a deal reached on the renewal of the mandate and details of the IGC work programme in an informal session on 27 September. According to the document adopted by the Assembly, the WIPO IGC should report to next year's General Assembly so that it can take stock of progress made in 2014 and decide on convening a diplomatic conference. It is still unclear whether there will be one instrument for all subjects or three separate ones. Whether it will be considered legally binding or not also remains in question. Member States' statements reaffirmed their positions and their divergences. Read the article … |
Resource: QUNO paper on preventing conflict around water, land and food Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:17 AM PDT Building peace around water, land and food: Policy and practice for preventing conflict Water and land are two of the key natural resources that shape billions of people's livelihoods, food security, well-being and identity. While challenges around governing natural resources have been faced throughout history, climate change now lends an additional urgency to the need to develop appropriate policy and practice in order to prevent destructive conflict around water, land and food. This paper looks at some of the elements of peaceful and equitable natural resource management, focusing particularly on the need to strengthen peace-building skills among actors at all levels. It explores the international laws and guidelines that can help to prevent destructive conflict around water, land and food by promoting good approaches to natural resource management. It further presents initiatives that have implemented such approaches, drawing lessons from their experiences. Some of the case studies presented consider the strengths of community protocols that, especially when supported by national policy, can be used to ensure equitable management of plant genetic resources and provide a mechanism for managing conflicts constructively. Among the lessons learned, it is noted that an inclusive approach to natural resource management requires capacity building at various levels, with the consequent financial and time investment that this implies; ongoing efforts to bring in excluded groups are essential for food policy and practice around natural resources; while raising awareness of legal rights and responsibilities among communities, government representatives and private sector representatives leads to more legitimate and peaceful natural resource management. National support for community articulations of customary use and ownership of natural resources can provide a basis for dialogue between groups as well as help gain national recognition of customary law and practice. An annex includes a list of the international legal instruments relevant to natural resource management and prevention of conflict. Download the paper [pdf] … |
This week in review … Traditional farm practices hold promise for watershed management in the Philippines Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:14 AM PDT Traditional Farm Practices Hold Promises for Philippines' Sick Rivers CORDILLERA, PHILIPPINES: An estimated 80 percent of Asia's rivers are considered "sick," meaning they suffer from pollution and the uncoordinated development of water resources. As conservationists rethink strategies to save rivers, young researchers in Manila are finding promise in an age-old watershed preservation approach. The Ifugaos of the Cordillera region in northern Philippines are known as the builders of the area's UNESCO heritage rice-terraces. Such mountainside farms have survived for more than 900 years, in part because locals have maintained nearby forests and protected the watersheds that sustain their fields. In the lowlands, expanding populations and industrial growth have stressed rivers and water basins, despite master development plans designed by top engineers. Asia Development Bank water expert Wouter Lincklaen Arriens says the old practices of local communities should play a bigger role in modern watershed management. Read the article … |
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