| United Nations | E/CN.17/IPF/1997/6 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
17 January 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH/ SPANISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
Fourth session
11-21 February 1997
Item 2 of the provisional agenda*
* E/CN.17/IPF/1997/1.
IMPLEMENTATION OF FOREST-RELATED DECISIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL LEVELS, INCLUDING AN EXAMINATION OF SECTORAL AND
CROSS-SECTORAL LINKAGES
Letter dated 15 January 1997 from the Permanent Representatives
of Colombia and Denmark to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General **
(** The letter has also been signed by Mr. Joji Carin~o, Executive
Secretary of the International Alliance of the Indigenous/Tribal
Peoples of the Tropical Forests, a non-governmental organization.)
The Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations, the
Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations and the
International Alliance of the Indigenous/Tribal Peoples of the
Tropical Forests have the honour to transmit to you copies in English
and Spanish language of the "Proposals for Action" and the "Leticia-
Declaration" adopted by the International Meeting of Indigenous and
Other Forest-Dependent Peoples on the Management, Conservation and
Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests, which was an inter-
sessional activity under the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. The
meeting was held in Leticia, Colombia, from 9 to 13 December 1996 at
the invitation of the International Alliance of the Indigenous/Tribal
Peoples of the Tropical Forests and co-sponsored by the Governments of
Colombia and Denmark.
The above-mentioned documents constitute the indigenous peoples'
contributions to the ongoing process in the Intergovernmental Panel on
Forests and should provide an input to the fourth session of the Ad
Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, to be held at the United
Nations Headquarters in New York from 11 to 21 February 1997.
May we ask for your kind consideration in circulating these
attached papers as part of the official documentation of the fourth
session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests.
(Signed) Julio LONDON~O-PAREDES (Signed) Benny KIMBERG
Ambassador Ambassador
Permanent Representative of Colombia Permanent Representative of Denmark
to the United Nations to the United Nations
RESULTS
of the
International Meeting of
Indigenous and Other Forest-Dependent Peoples
on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development
of All Types of Forests
Leticia, Colombia
9 - 13 December 1996
A Contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
Co-sponsored by the Governments of Colombia and Denmark
Organized by the International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of
the Tropical Forests, the Co-ordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations
in the Amazon Basin (COICA) and the Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of
the Colombian Amazon-region (OPIAC)
1. INTRODUCTION
The "International Meeting of Indigenous and Other Forest-Dependent
Peoples on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of
All Types of Forests" took place in Leticia, Colombia on 9 - 13
December 1996.
The Governments of Colombia and Denmark were jointly sponsors of the
meeting, which was organised by the International Alliance of
Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, The Co-ordinating
Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and the
Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC).
Around 100 delegates participated in the meeting, divided as follows:
- indigenous peoples from different regions, tropical and non-tropical,
throughout the world:
Latin America (14)
Africa (4)
Asia-Pacific (9)
Northern forest regions (5)
- other forest-dependent peoples (5)
- non-governmental organisations (13)
- governmental representatives in their individual expert capacity (13)
- international agencies, including the IPF and CSD secretariat (6)
- local indigenous communities (10)
- Colombian invitees (12)
- observers (8)
Objectives
The main objective of the inter-sessional meeting was to contribute to
the IPF process and to formulate proposals for action and resolutions
for IPF 4, on matters related to indigenous and other forest peoples
issues.
In addition, the meeting also provided the opportunity for indigenous
and other forest peoples' organisations, to meet and discuss matters
pertaining to their interests and views in relation to forests, and
the various international processes where these issues are discussed.
As a major international meeting of Indigenous Peoples and other
forest-dependent peoples, the meeting discussed the promotion of
Indigenous Peoples=ED action and participation in the implementation
of Agenda 21, and post-UNCED action on environment and sustainable
development.
Within the IPF's programme of work, four major themes were identified
to be discussed during the intersessional meeting:
1. traditional forest-related knowledge
2. national land use and forest programmes
3. underlying causes of deforestation
4. international mechanisms and instruments.
Background to the meeting
The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) at its first meeting,
requested the Secretary General to prepare all the relevant reports on
these elements, drawing on the work of the existing institutions, and
promoting the participation and contributions of all relevant sectors
and organisations.
At the second meeting of the IPF in March 1996, an initial discussion
took place on programme element I.3 --Traditional forest-related
knowledge -- and a substantive discussion was held at its third
meeting in September 1996.
With a view to enhancing and strengthening the contribution of
indigenous and other forest peoples to the IPF deliberations, the
International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests
together with the WorldWide Fund for Nature International (WWF) urged the IPF
to organise an inter-sessional meeting between IPF 3 and IPF 4 on the
cross-cutting theme of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent
peoples and sustainable forest management.
Subsequently, the Governments of Colombia and Denmark agreed their
sponsorship of this meeting, which was proposed and accepted at IPF3
and welcomed by numerous Indigenous Peoples=ED and other forest peoples'
organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international
agencies and different UN-bodies.
2. ORGANISATION OF THE WORK
The International Meeting was divided into two parts:
- 9-10 December (2 days) - Preparatory Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples
and other forest-dependent peoples
- 11-13 December (3 days) - Intersessional Meeting under the IPF.
The preparatory meeting
An integral part of the meeting was a two day preparatory meeting of
the representatives of indigenous and other forest dependent peoples, in
which the participants had an opportunity to exchange in plenary
sessions, information and experiences relating to the themes in the
different regions of the world.
Briefing papers were prepared for the Leticia Meeting to serve as
orientation documents for the participants and as basis for
discussions during the workshops on the different themes:
* The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests: An Introduction
* National Land Use and Forest Plans
* Underlying Causes of Deforestation
* Protection and Use of Traditional Forest Related Knowledge
* International Institutions and Mechanisms
* Background Paper on the UN Sub-Commissions Working Group on
Indigenous Populations.
Inaugural session and keynote addresses
The inaugural ceremony of the meeting, held on 9th of December,
included keynote addresses and welcome remarks by the following speakers:
- Ms. Daisy Criollo, in representation of OPIAC (Organizacion de Pueblos
Indogenas de la Amazonia Colombiana)
- Mr. Antonio Jacanamijoy Tisoy, general co-ordinator of COICA
(Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indigenas de la Cuenca Amazonica)
- Mr. Abadio Green Stocel, president of ONIC (Organizacion Nacional
Indogena de Colombia)
- Mr. Reynaldo Giagrecudo Pacaya, OPIAC, together with Maria Celena,
presented a cultural welcome act from the part of the Huitoto indigenous
people of the Amazonas department of Colombia
- Ms. Herminia Degawan, representing the International Alliance of
Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests,
- Mrs. Ana Luz Rodriguez of the Ministry of Environment of Colombia, in
representation of the Minister of Environment of Colombia
- Mr. Bjorn Olsen Blau, representing the Danish government
- Mr. Felix Francisco Acosta Soto, Governor of the Amazonas province who
- declared the meeting for opened.
After the inaugural session, the preparatory meeting started with an
orientation session on international processes affecting Indigenous
Peoples followed by an open discussion on
* the post UNCED activities, including the UNCSD and IPF processes;
* the background and objectives of the Leticia Meeting;
* other international instruments, mechanisms and activities affecting
indigenous peoples including the UN Commission on Human Rights, the UN
International Decade for Indigenous Peoples, the Convention on Biological
Diversity and the ILO.
It was concluded that local actions and struggles to strengthen
communities and secure indigenous rights are the top priority but that
international policies and programmes have strong influence on national
policies and impact on local communities. Therefore it was important to
link up the local with the global, to actively participate in
international meetings to open up spaces for local initiatives to
flourish, to be well informed and prepared for these meetings, to
access information and to make experiences and information more widely known
among Indigenous Peoples.
However, the participation of Indigenous Peoples and other
forest-dependent peoples in international mechanisms encounters major
difficulties, due to lack of information and understanding, funding
limitations, accreditation procedures and local factors. Despite these
identified difficulties, the preparatory meeting resolved to pursue the
international process, specifically this intersessional meeting, to put
forward principles and recommendations for action.
The preparatory meeting, also attended by the representatives of
governments, NGOs and international agencies as observers, included
working group discussions on the major themes of the meeting and
forwarded recommendations for fuller consideration during the
intersessional meeting.
Daily reports and summaries of conclusions and recommendations of each
working group and of the plenary sessions were made throughout the whole
week.
The intersessional meeting
The opening session of the Intersessional Meeting included speeches by:
- Mr. Manuel Rodriguez, Co-Chair of the IPF
- Ana Luz Rodriguez, Representative of the Ministry of Environment of
Colombia
- Pedro Ramos de Souza, Brazilian Rubber Tappers Union
- Max Ooft, Technical Secretariat of the International Alliance of
Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests.
Two chairpersons nominated by the indigenous preparatory meeting were
elected to chair the meeting: Marcial Arias, Kuna from Panama,
representating the Asociacion Napguana, and Herminia Degawan,
Kanakanaey-Igorot from the Philippines, representating the Cordillera
Peoples Alliance.
After the opening ceremony, the meeting considered the four main themes,
focusing on case study presentations by indigenous participants from
different forest types and other speakers with a range of experiences.
The following presentions were made:
National Land Use and Forest Programmes
1. Bill Ritchie, Assynt Crofters Trust, Scotland
2. Harold Browne, Amerindian Peoples Association, Guyana
3. Moses Mariri, Solomon Islands Indigenous Peoples Environmental
Organisation
Underlying Causes of Deforestation
1. Pavel Suliandziga, Association of Indigenous Peoples of North Siberia and
Vladimir Bocharnikov, Scientific Centre PRAIP, Russia
2. Sushil Saigal, Society for the Promotion of Wastelands Development, India
and Jaweshwar Jerai, Jharkhandis Organisation for Human Rights, India
3. Alfred Ilenre, Ethnic Minority Rights Organisation of Africa, Nigeria
Traditional Forest-Related Knowledge
1. Tip Ruchaitrakul, Inter-Mountain Peoples Education and Culture
Association in Thailand (IMPECT), Thailand and
Devashish Roy, Bangladesh Indigenous and Hill Peoples' Association for
Advancement; Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
2. Gonzalo Oviedo, WWF-International
3. Peggy Smith, National Aboriginal Forestry Association and Observer for
the Canadian Government, Canada
4. Abadio Green, Organizacion Nacional Indigena de Colombia (ONIC).
International Mechanisms and Institutions
1. Julio Ruiz Murrieta, European Commission
2. Markku Aho, Department for International Development Cooperation, Finland
3. Marcial Arias, Asociacion Napguana, Panama
Again working groups were formed, this time each group discussing all of
the themes in depth, with a special focus on generating related
recommendations and proposals for action relevant to Indigenous Peoples
and other forest dependent peoples.
In the last day of the intersessional meeting, the conclusions,
recommendations and proposals for action arising from the different
working groups were extensively discussed. The Leticia Declaration and
Proposals for Action were adopted and a drafting committee was asigned to
finalise the documents.
A number of resolutions and urgent action letters were circulated for
signatures on the following themes:
- Resolution on Conservation NGOs
- Resolution on Mangrove Forests
- Letter regarding Nomination of FENAMAD for the Bartolome de las Casas Prize
- Letter to the President of Colombia regarding Legal Guarantees on
Indigenous Territories
- Letter to the President of El Salvador regarding Detention of 15 Persons.
3. Results of the meeting
The Leticia Declaration
and
Proposals for Actions
All peoples are descendants of the forest. When the forest dies we die.
We are given responsibility to maintain balance within the natural world.
When any part is destroyed, all balance is cast into chaos. When the
last tree is gone, and the last river is dead, then people will learn
that we cannot eat gold and silver. To nurture the land is our
obligation to our ancestors, who passed this to us for future
generations.
PREAMBLE
We, participants of the International Meeting of Indigenous Peoples and
Other Forest - Dependent Peoples on the Management, Conservation and
Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests,
Recognising that Indigenous Peoples enjoy the right of self-determination
and by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status
and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development;
Recognising that forests are the homes of many Indigenous Peoples and
other forest-dependent peoples and are fundamental to their survival as
distinct peoples, forming the basis for their livelihoods, cultures and
spirituality;
Recognising that nearly all forests are inhabited;
Recognising that the maintenance of cultural diversity and the welfare of
Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent peoples is a fundamental aspect
of sustainable forest management;
Recognising that secure and long-term guarantees to lands and territories
is essential to sustainable forest management;
Recognising that human rights, sustainable forest management and peace
are interdependent and indivisible;
Recognising, therefore, that the interests of Indigenous Peoples and
other forest-dependent peoples should have priority in any decisions
about forests:
Therefore this meeting calls upon Governments, Intergovernmental
Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and Major Groups involved
in implementing Agenda 21) to support the following principles,
conclusions and proposals for action:
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
That the rights, welfare, viewpoints and interests of Indigenous Peoples
and other forest-dependent peoples should be central to all
decision-making about forests at local, national, regional and
international levels;
That their rights to their lands, territories, forests and other natural
resources should be recognised, secured, respected and protected;
That they should have full control over the management, use and
conservation of these resources;
That the representative institutions of Indigenous Peoples and other
forest-dependent peoples should be fully recognised and respected;
That Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent peoples need strong
and autonomous organisations and support for the consolidation of
indigenous systems and cultural institutions;
That new mechanisms should be established to ensure the equal
participation of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples in
decision-making on forests at all levels;
That Indigenous Peoples and other forest peoples constitute an important
cross-cutting theme in the forest agenda, affecting many other issues;
That United Nations bodies, when dealing with Indigenous issues, should
not narrowly work on sectoral themes but continue to engage in dialogue
to enhance mutually enriching discussions, and to strengthen co-ordination;
That there should be wholehearted support for the current Draft United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples being discussed
by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and its relevance for
the goals of sustainable development and sustainable forest
management;
That these principles shall be applied in the management, conservation
and sustainable development of all types of forests.
National Forest And Land Use Programmes:
National Forest and Land Use Programmes should promote broad
participation and be decentralised to ensure a wide involvement in
implementation;
Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples must play an
integral part in national forest and land use planning;
Rights to and respect for Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent
peoples' lands and territories and tenure systems must be guaranteed in
forms appropriate to them;
Within the framework of national and regional planning, decisions on land
use must be devolved to the local level so that Indigenous Peoples and
other forest-dependent peoples can assert effective customary systems of
sustainable forest management;
Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples' rights to
rotational farming, hunting, gathering, fishing, grazing and other land
use should be respected and secured within national land use and forest
programmes;
All forest and land use planning activities that affect Indigenous
Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples must fully respect their
customary systems of dispute settlement;
National land use and forest programmes should uphold international
standards on the rights of indigenous peoples, with due consideration for
the wishes of the Peoples concerned, including appropriate national
legislation and implementation.
National governments are urged to respect indigenous communities and
cultures across national frontiers and not continue with practices which
divide Indigenous Peoples.
Proposals for Action
1. The IPF should acknowledge the importance of indigenous land use
and resource rights, as well as customary law and indigenous legal
systems, as inherently related to the forest issue.
2. To establish participatory mechanisms for national forest and
land use planning which include the following elements:
* Equal access and full participation by Indigenous Peoples and
other forest dependent peoples in national land use planning and forest
programmes, at all stages of planning, implementation, monitoring,
assessment and evaluation.
* Initiatives, programmes and projects must take into account
customary land use and tenure systems of Indigenous and other forest
dependent peoples, including rotational farming, hunting, gathering,
fishing, grazing and others.
* No activities must take place on Indigenous Peoples' territories
without their full and informed consent through their representative
institutions, including the power of veto.
* No activities for resource utilisation or conservation, including
the establishment of protected areas, must be initiated on lands of
Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent peoples without security
and full respect for their territorial rights.
* Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent peoples must be
included in the decision making process at all levels in all areas which
affect them, including policy decisions of international development
agencies, multilateral development banks and all trans-national corporations.
* Any benefits from territories of Indigenous Peoples and other
forest dependent Peoples must primarily be for their own local use and in
accordance with principles of benefit-sharing established by them.
Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation:
Deforestation and forest degradation is exacerbated by a lack of
understanding of the holistic worldviews and ways of life of Indigenous
Peoples and other forest dependent peoples;
The underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation which
urgently need to be addressed include the following:
* The failure of governments and other institutions to recognise
and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent
Peoples to their territorial lands, forests and other resources;
* The increasing problem of landlessness among impoverished
peasants who are denied access to land outside forest areas due to
inequitable land ownership patterns, and who also have no alternate
economic opportunities;
* Government policies and those of private sector industry are
geared to exploit forest and mineral resources to the fullest extent for
purely economic gain. These policies are often incompatible with other
existing forest conservation policies. Such policies include substituting
forests with industrial tree plantation for the pulp industry; oil and gas
exploration by trans-national corporations; uncontrolled mining operations,
and establishing nuclear waste storage sites on indigenous territories.
Proposals for Action
1. Genuine participatory mechanisms need to be developed which allow
Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent peoples a decisive voice in
evaluations of deforestation processes and the evolution of appropriate
policy responses.
2. Governments and other institutions are urged to pursue measures
which can reduce pressure from industrial societies on forests by, inter
alia, reducing consumption, reusing, recycling and substituting forest
products as appropriate.
Traditional Forest Related Knowledge:
Traditional forest-related knowledge is essential to sustainable forest
management practices;
Traditional forest-related Knowledge is intimately bound up with Indigenous
Peoples and other forest dependent peoples' ownership and control of their
lands and territories and their continued management, use and conservation of
all types of forests.
The contributions of women in the development, promotion and protection
of indigenous knowledge must be acknowledged and supported;
The ownership of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples of
their forest related traditional knowledge and contemporary innovations
should be recognised and secured;
Traditional knowledge must remain alive, cultures must continue to
develop, and indigenous contemporary knowledge and technologies must also
be respected;
Use of this knowledge should not be made without the prior informed
consent of the Peoples concerned;
Indigenous Peoples oppose the patenting of life forms, sacred plants and
the Human Genome Diversity Project and the imposition of private
intellectual property rights on collective indigenous knowledge and
resources.
Proposals for action
1. New legislative frameworks and sui generis systems that recognise
and effectively protect the cultural heritage and traditional forest
related knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent
peoples must be established. These must be based on customary law and
governance structures.
2. To note and support the actions and recommendations agreed by the
Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity during
its third meeting relating to the implementation of Article 8j and other
related areas.
3. To establish in the Amazon region a world university of
Indigenous Peoples with the support of the international community. This
University shall function under the direct administration of the
Indigenous Peoples with the purpose to study, promote and protect
Indigenous cultures, cosmo-vision and traditional knowledge. It shall be
open to all peoples and cultures.
4. IPF4 should support the Principles and Guidelines for the
Protection of the Heritage of Indigenous Peoples contained in the Final
Report of the Special Rapporteur, Mrs. Erica- Irene Daes
(E/CN.4/Sub.2/1995/26) covering definitions, transmission of heritage,
recovery and restitution of heritage, national programmes and
legislation, researchers and scholarly institutions, business and
industry, artists, writers and performers, public information and
education and international organisations.
5. To undertake a series of expert meetings under the auspices of
the CSD on sustainable development and territorial management, and the
related issues of partnerships, agreements and legal frameworks for
cultural heritage protection.
6. National governments and the international community are urged to
support education programmes which promote the sustainable forest
management practices of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent
Peoples.
7. To implement broad technical capacity-building programmes on
sustainable land use and forest management, giving special attention to
settlers.
8. To support information exchange programmes between Indigenous
Peoples and local communities on issues of intellectual and cultural
rights, knowledge, innovations and practices.
9. To develop association agreements on sustainable forest
management between Indigenous Peoples, other forest-dependent Peoples and
groups living in the forest.
10. To establish an information centre and dissemination system to
enable Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent peoples to access
all relevant information. Efforts should be made to make this
information freely and widely available in languages and forms accessible
to Indigenous Peoples.
Financial Assistance and Technology Transfer:
Proposals for Action
1. Financial assistance and mechanisms must be publicly accountable,
transparent and unconditional. The IPF must also create possibilities
for Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent Peoples to design their
own financial mechanisms.
2. Indigenous Peoples and forest dependent peoples should directly
access and receive technical assistance and support upon their own
request. When such assistance is proposed by government agencies and
other bodies it should only proceed with the approval of the Indigenous
Peoples and forest dependent peoples.
3. Donor criteria should go beyond project financing, and also
support the capacity- and institution-building of Indigenous Peoples and
other forest-dependent Peoples.
4. To set up an independent fund to enable Indigenous Peoples and
other forest dependent peoples to enjoy full participation in the
international forest policy debate. The funding mechanism must ensure
independent, fair and equitable participation from all regions and all
types of forests. Indigenous Peoples must be part of the administration
of this fund.
Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management:
All criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and
certification principles must secure the spiritual, cultural, social and
material well-being of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent
peoples.
Proposals for Action
1. Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples should be
supported to carry out their own inventory of forest resources, and to
define locally appropriate criteria and indicators for sustainable forest
management.
International Instruments and Mechanisms:
All future international instruments and mechanisms dealing with forests
should involve Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples in
all stages of decision-making as equal partners.
The key areas that need to be addressed are participation and
representation at the international level, access to relevant information
and funding. In order to effectively participate in decision making
processes, governments and other institutions must provide necessary
support to help strengthen organisations of Indigenous Peoples and other
forest dependent peoples.
Proposals for Action:
1. Indigenous Peoples and other forest dependent peoples must
continue to have improved representation at all upcoming UN forums in the
immediate future including IPF4, CSD 5 and the Special Session of the UN
General Assembly in June 1997. All these meetings should register our
participation as =ECIndigenous Peoples=EE, a recognised Major Group in the
implementation of Agenda 21.
2. Full support should be given to establishing a UN Permanent Forum
for Indigenous Peoples during the UN Decade for Indigenous Peoples which
will draw together human rights, environment and development issues.
3. Agenda 21 and the Forest Principles should be interpreted to
harmonise with the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, with particular emphasis on the use of the term "peoples" in its
documentation.
ACTION COMMITMENTS
The participants committed themselves to undertake concrete plan of
action including the following:
- Identification of concrete participatory mechanisms for Indigenous
Peoples and other forest dependent peoples to ensure full and equal
participation in any post IPF forest processes and also the Convention on
Biological Diversity;
- Creation of a global, regional and local network for the flow of
appropriate information and proposals for action;
- Plan and seek support for a programme of action to facilitate Indigenous
Peoples and forest dependent peoples
- Identification of locally appropriate criteria and indicators for
sustainable forest management;
- Preparation of proposals for the inclusion of traditional forest-related
knowledge by Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent peoples into
tertiary education and professional training programmes within all
nations;
- Prepare proposals at the national level for the education of all peoples,
especially the young people about forest destruction and degradation and
the role of Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent peoples in managing
and protecting our forest resources;
- Prepare proposals for regional meetings between Indigenous Peoples and
other forest dependent peoples and UN-agencies and other bodies to
explore the implications of international instruments and agreements at
the national and local level;National Indigenous Peoples' organisations
should consider forming alliances with universities to create national
forums for research, study and action.
CONCLUSIONS
The meeting requests the IPF to incorporate these principles and
proposals for action in the final IPF Report during its fourth
session.
The meeting also requested that the Leticia Declaration and Proposals for
Action also be considered by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
during the 5th Session, the General Assembly Special Session and all
other international forest policy deliberations.
The meeting requested the broadest dissemination of the Leticia
Declaration and Proposals for Action to all relevant bodies.
A full Co-Chairpersons' Report on the Leticia Meeting will be made
available to all participants of IPF4. All relevant documents are also
available online electronically at:
ia.indig-tribal (conference documentation in Greennet), or
http://www.gn.apc.org/iaip/leticia
and from the International Technical Secretariat of the International
Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests
14 Rudolf Place
Miles Street
London SW8 1RP
Tel. +44 171 587 3737
Fax +44 171 793 8686
E-mail: morbeb@gn.apc.org
http://www.gn.apc.org/iaip
List of participants of the International Meeting of Indigenous and Other
Forest-Dependent Peoples on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable
Development of All Types of Forests is available upon request. Please
contact <morbeb@gn.apc.org>
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Date last posted: 7 December 1999 12:45:30
Comments and suggestions: DESA/DSD