By Wesley Omondi
ACCRA, SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 (CISA)—The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), through its Justice, Peace, and Development Commission (JPDC), has called on the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) to ensure that biodiversity conservation funding respects the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities across the continent.
SECAM is concerned that such funding if mismanaged, could lead to land alienation and destabilize the livelihoods of these communities.
“EU biodiversity conservation funds must not lead to mass land alienation or threaten the stability of indigenous and local communities,” JPDC emphasized.
SECAM-JPDC, alongside partners like the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) at Coventry University, and others, first launched a policy brief on September 12, 2024, titled ‘Protecting the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to Halt Biodiversity Loss’. The brief highlights the critical role indigenous communities play in managing an estimated 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity and calls for a new approach to conservation that safeguards their rights.
“Indigenous peoples and local communities are stewards of the world’s biodiversity, managing 80 percent of the remaining biodiversity,” SECAM reiterated.
Among the recommendations made in the policy brief is a call to end exclusionary conservation models that have displaced indigenous communities. The JPDC advocates for co-management models that integrate humans and nature, ensuring local communities actively participate in conservation efforts and monitor biodiversity financing.
“We call for the abandonment of fortress conservation approaches in favour of co-management models,” they noted.
The JPDC also stressed the importance of securing land rights for indigenous people and local communities. It pointed out that the right to land is fundamental to effective biodiversity conservation, aligning with the UN Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP).
Another key issue raised by the JPDC is the need for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for all biodiversity projects, particularly those funded by the EU. SECAM insists that such projects must involve meaningful participation from local communities, in line with international human rights standards.
“FPIC is a fundamental right, and it must be secured for all biodiversity projects, especially those funded by the EU,” SECAM urged.
Finally, the policy brief calls for biodiversity financing to be redirected to support sustainable land management practices, such as agroecology and pastoralism, which not only preserve biodiversity but also enhance the livelihoods of indigenous people. The JPDC emphasized that pastoralism, a crucial livelihood for many indigenous communities, is often overlooked in conservation funding.
“Biodiversity financing should support sustainable practices like agroecology and pastoralism, which safeguard both biodiversity and livelihoods,” the JPDC concluded.
