Remember “no Rights no REDD+”?

Illustration source: www.mapuexpress.org

By Phil Franks, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Older colleagues will recall the “No Rights No REDD+” which erupted at UNFCCC COP 14 in Poznan in 2008. This was a campaign led by Indigenous Peoples focused mainly on how their rights might be seriously threatened by REDD+. With GBF and its “30*30” target, there are very similar concerns, but we are in a somewhat different place. Though rights to lands, territories and resources remain a central element, the overall framing is universal human rights, reflecting both the growing recognition of human rights violations in conservation and growing understanding that respect for IPLCs and rights is key to the success of conservation in the 21st century, and critical to achieving “30*30” target. Furthermore, adopting a rights-based approach (RBA) that emphasizes both rights and the accountability of “duty-bearers” to respect and protect these rights, is a crucial element of strategies to deliver equitable governance.

In terms of strategies to advance RBA we are also in a different place compared with REDD+ in 2008. In UNFCCC the response was the “Cancun Safeguards” adopted by Parties at COP16 two years later, but there was also seriously scrutiny of the social safeguards in policies of national governments and donors that has led to many safeguard systems being strengthened – notably of the donors. Not perfect, but in many cases good enough to mean that the emphasis now needs to be on monitoring compliance with these safeguards.

A safeguard is a specific policy designed to avoid harm and where possible improve the situation (do good). Where REDD+ safeguards came unstuck was that some countries argued that compliance simply means having these specific safeguard policies within relevant national policies. Thus, reporting on safeguards would be a desk exercise. Growing concerns over this led to a distinction being made between “addressing” (having the safeguard in policy) and “respecting” (implementing the safeguard policy). While we certainly should not cut and paste from REDD+ there is quite a lot we can learn from that experience.

_____________________________________________________________________

The opinions,commentaries, and articles printed in ECO are the sole opinion of the individual authors or organizations, unless otherwise expressed.