IUCN - Effective rights-based conservation for indigenous regional cooperation

General

The initiative is a project support which ??seeks to support the effective design and implementation of the rights and environmental justice approach in processes of conservation and sustainable resource management on indigenous lands and territories in Central and South America with nature-based solutions from their own vision as indigenous communities. It will help to strengthen governance structures and capacities to contribute to the management and integrity of the territories as a basis for the conservation of biodiversity, the increase of resilience and opportunities to improve their livelihoods. The project will support indigenous groups in Latin-America (Central America och the Amazon) by assisting: - indigenous communities in highly biodiverse ecosystems to apply tools and mechanisms to prevent and reduce the treats to their territorial management. - environmental defenders and leaders to improve their management, advocacy, and communication capacities for an equitable governance and defence of territorial rights. - indigenous people’s organizations and communications networks to make visible IPCL contributions to conservation, strengthen the prevention and denounce threats to their integrity. - environmental defenders and indigenous people’s organizations to harmonize their agendas ad action proposals to negotiate them in international and regional fora.

Objectives

The project "Advancing towards effective conservation and territorial management with a rights-based approach: strengthening indigenous regional cooperation in Latin America" seeks to support the effective design and implementation of the rights and environmental justice approach in processes of conservation and sustainable resource management on indigenous lands and territories with principles based on nature-based solutions from the perspective of indigenous peoples; strengthen governance structures and capacities to contribute to the management and integrity of the territories as a basis for the conservation of biodiversity and the increase of resilience and opportunities to improve their livelihoods. The project aspires to work on collaboration and dialogue actions between local actors (e.g. indigenous authorities and organizations) and with national and regional authorities and non state stakeholders, from an intercultural approach to consolidate governance structures, indigenous leadership and improve the inclussion and effective participation of women and youth in spaces for dialogue and decision-making on conservation and environmental issues. Sida considers that the project aims to strengthen environmental governance, justice and a rights-based conservation approach within Latin America through empowerment and capacity building for organizations, IPLCs and environmental leaders in a sustainable, culturally adapted and inclusive manner, and in the full exercise of their rights to prevent and address threats to their territorial management. In the long term the project will contribute to secure Indigenous peoples rights in conservation and territorial management of their territories and megadiverse ecosystems.