COP10, October 18th 2010

WELCOME YOU TO THIS SIDE EVENT

ON

Article 10(c) - customary sustainable use:Examples, Obstacles, Solutions, and Community Initiatives

Secretariat

Customary use of biological resources

To provide community food sustainance

shifting cultivation or rotational farming

foraging, hunting and fishing

wood, honey, nuts, forest fruits, palms and other NTFP

(continued) home-building tools boats, nets traditional

medicines

continued Hammock-

making Pottery, weaving,

beading musical

instruments clothing

Lands & resources communally managed spiritual beliefs and cosmological views guide the care of

territories and resources (deep respect for nature and interconnection with past and present generations)

customs and rituals when interacting with natural resources ‘seeking permission and good fortune’ being respectful and avoiding upsetting the spirit beings

Customary laws and rules for sustainable use

unwritten rules and laws make sure that over-use is prevented and that there will be enough left for future generations.

Do not waste or overuse (take only what you need)

Make sure a resource can recover

Avoid taboo, sacred or otherwise special areas or species

Community control mechanisms

Dependency (destroying nature = destroying your future)

Internal control (elders, traditional institutions)

Spiritual beliefs (spiritual sanctions when balance between man and nature is upset by incorrect use)

Threats to customary sustainable practices

Lack of secure land and resource rights

Lack of recognition of customary laws and institutions

Imposed protected areas and conservation policies

Lack of recognition and respect for the importance of customary sustainable use for biodiversity protection

External pressures on traditional lands (no FPIC)

Mainstream education and assimilation policies

Community initiatives to enhance implementation of Article 10(c)

Documenting customary use and customary laws

The studies explain about customary management systems and the important role of customary laws & institutions.

And demonstrate value of customary practices and traditional knowledge

Initiatives to protect and maintain traditional knowledge and practices (skills) related to sustainable resource use

Karen and Hmong in Thailand organise youth camps to pass on indigenous culture and knowledge related to the environment and customary use

Indigenous education festival in Suriname

Participatory videoing

Community land use mapping

Paddy 795 Rai

Rotational fields 935 Rai

Settlement 178 Rai

Burial grounds 296 Rai

Use forest 7,159 Rai

Ritual forest 1,593 Rai

Government reforestation

232 Rai

Community conserved forest 1,297 Rai

Spring area 2,602 Rai

Traditional forbidden forest 67 Rai

Grazing area

Queen project 132 Rai

Public land

51 Rai

Total area: 15,337 RaiFarming: 1,730 (11.2%)Use Forest: 7,210 (47%)Conservation 5,855 (38.2%)Govt Project: 364 (2.4%)Settlements: 178 (1.2%)[total forest area: 85.2%]

Result = Communal land titles are recognized by government

Maps demonstrate and clarify traditional occupation and customary use of resources

Maps are a tool to assert more secure land and resource rights

Support dialogue and negotiation processes with outside actors

Addressing equity in protected area management

Example: Thailand ‘Joint Management of

Protected Areas Project’ in Ob Luang National Park.

Has resulted in:

improved access and resource use in and around the protected area

more involvement in the decision-making and management of the protected area.

River basin committee: improved collaboration between different sectors

Methods: mapping out community land use zones in areas overlapped by the Ob Luang National Park

Development of the Participatory Model for Identification and Recognition of Forest People (ParMoRec) in the Sundarbans (Bangladesh)

Identifies the real traditional forest resource users Promotes issuing of forest permits to real resource users and addresses

corruption Improves access to forest for local communities Improves livelihoods

10(c) at COP 10

Agenda item 6.7 (Article 8j): We welcome the decision to include a new major component on

article 10c in the revised POW on 8j

Agenda item 5.5 (Sustainable use): ‘Address obstacles and devise solutions for 10c…’ (paragraph 2e)

needs to take include:

Secure land and resource rights Support for customary laws and institutions Participation in management and decision making of resources Access to education in our own culture and our own language

Thank You