BY: UNFCC
The undersigned organizations and groups appreciate the opportunity to submit our views on the functions and activities of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform. Our submission is in line with and supportive of the LCIP’s submissions.
At least 24 percent of the carbon stored above ground in the world’s tropical forests (not counting the carbon stored in the soil) is in the collectively-managed lands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This is one of the figures presented on the 18th Annual Land and Poverty Conference.
But also, the experts mentioned that less of 10% of this land is legally owned by those communities. On this matter the 2018 CLARA report “Missing Pathways”, declares how “securing community land rights represents an effective, efficient and equitable climate action that governments can undertake to protect the world’s forests. Protecting forests while allowing for indigenous and community-based forest management to provide biodiversity, food security, and carbon sequestration benefits is an urgent first step in ending deforestation and restoring forests’ historical role as net forest ‘sink’”.
The recognition of the importance of indigenous peoples knowledge and experience on the fight against climate change, and specifically the great opportunity that the LCIPP brings on this matter, are the reasons for the organizations signing to submit these proposals to the Secretariat regarding some possible activities that could enhance the LCIPP’s role within the UNFCCC.