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As the international community gathers for COP16 in Cali, Colombia, the international organization representing Inuit is highlighting the importance of recognizing Indigenous Peoples in global biodiversity efforts.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) said it wants to ensure that Inuit rights are acknowledged and that Indigenous Peoples are seen as distinct groups in international discussions.
“Inuit and other Indigenous Peoples play a significant role in safeguarding the planet’s biodiversity, regionally and globally,” ICC Chair Sara Olsvig said in a statement.
In addition, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) should guide global biodiversity policies, Olsvig said.
Ongoing concerns over positioning in international agreements
ICC also cautioned against the practice of classing Indigenous Peoples in with local communities in international agreements.
The organization has long advocated for a reevaluation of this approach since the inclusion of such language in documents from the Rio conference to the Paris climate agreement and the 2018 Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean.
“This grouping and conflation of terms has resulted in the slow and incremental erosion of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and diminishes the effectiveness of Inuit advocacy and representation,” ICC said in its statement.
“The ICC’s position is rooted in the principle that Indigenous Peoples are rights holders, not stakeholders or interest groups. The organization has consistently opposed the conflation of these terms and will continue to do so at COP16 and beyond.”
Additional priorities for COP16
The organization is participating in the meeting remotely and said it will also advocate three additional priorities for the Colombia gathering, including the recognition of Inuit as a distinct Indigenous group in biodiversity discussions, the adoption of UNDRIP as the guiding framework for international agreements affecting Indigenous Peoples, and the protection of Indigenous Knowledge in biodiversity conservation efforts.
“Inuit are stewards of the rich biological diversity across Inuit Nunaat and the lands, ice, waters that we call our home,” Olsvig said. “Our knowledge and way of life are invaluable to the global fight to protect biodiversity. However, this can only be achieved if we are recognized as rights holders.”
The 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity runs Oct 21-Nov 1.
The three main priorities of the COP16 gathering are developing national plans to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an international agreement to reverse biodiversity loss, secure funding to implement the framework, and establish fair access and benefit-sharing mechanisms for plants, animals, and microorganisms that are of value for food, agriculture, medicine, and biodiversity.
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