During his participation in the diploma ‘REDD+ initiatives (Reduction of Emissions derived from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) in Colombian Amazon contexts: challenges and opportunities for indigenous communities’, 31 indigenous people of Guainía They called for a series of changes and actions related to carbon markets in the country.
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Community members called for regulating and implementing the national safeguards system for the voluntary carbon market and other REDD+ projects with the support of local communities.
“Although there is a regulatory framework, there is no clarity regarding its application in the formulation, negotiation and implementation processes of REDD+ projects. This puts at risk our own governments, the ancestral management of the territory, traditional practices and the protection of indigenous peoples.”said the 31 participants of the diploma course.
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Among the requests they made is include a special ethnic chapter for Amazonian indigenous peoples“recognizing traditional knowledge as a system of knowledge for the management and conservation of forests”.
Likewise, they pointed out that they must establish control and monitoring mechanisms on companies that execute REDD+ projects, in order to verify compliance with agreements with indigenous communities and respect for their rights and autonomy.
Another point they expressed is that the contracts for these projects must be drawn up with the indigenous communities in the territories and translated into the language of origin before being signed.
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“The actions and commitments must be agreed upon in a general assembly in the territories, where knowledgeable men and women, young people and members of the community participate and discuss in language. The final contract document must be public and easily accessible”, the indigenous leaders recommended to the government.
Likewise, they pointed out that It is essential that the Ministry of the Environment and other government entities guarantee prior consultation for the development of projectsallocating the necessary resources.
“The Ministry must recognize legally constituted self-government figures and their political, legal and legal valueproviding the economic and strengthening tools so that they can exercise their role as administrators of the territory“, they stated.
These recommendations were given at the conclusion of the diploma course led by WRI Colombia, the AATI JAJLAMI Indigenous Traditional Authority, the Pontifical Javeriana University and National Natural Parks, and financed by Re:Wild and Bezos Earth Fund.
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