First published on 05/26/2017, and last updated on 06/08/2017
The ICCA Registry and World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) are two global databases that store information on territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities, both managed by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. A new manual has been developed to support local communities and indigenous peoples in registering their ICCAs in these databases. It is aimed at indigenous peoples, local communities, and those who work with them, and is published online here: Global Databases to Support ICCAs: a Manual for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
The manual explains how the two databases are different, and how they are linked. It goes on to describe the potential benefits that ICCA custodians, and the wider world, might experience as a result of registering, along with some considerations that should be taken into account before doing so. The manual is designed to provide communities and indigenous peoples with the information they need in order to collectively decide whether to participate. It then goes on to describe what information and documentation is needed, and what to expect after submitting their information. Data can be provided for one ICCA or for many at once, but in all cases the data provider must have the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the ICCAs’ custodians.
To ensure that FPIC has been secured, and that the information is accurate, data submissions are subject to a peer-review process. This process can be tailored to particular national or sub-national contexts. Several countries are in the process of developing their own methods, while others have already determined their protocol (e.g. Philippines, Spain, Iran, and Indonesia). The role of the ICCA Consortium in the ICCA Registry and WDPA is to inform and support ICCAs both at global and regional/national levels, ensuring the quality of peer-review processes as well as promoting good governance values.
The manual is part of a broader project, called the ICCA Global Support Initiative, which aims to support ICCAs at multiple levels, from local to international. The development of peer-review processes is closely related to the formation of national networks of ICCAs, facilitated by the ICCA Consortium and GEF Small Grants Programme.
To find out more, or to learn about the status of your country’s national ICCA network and peer-review process, please contact: iccaregistry@unep-wcmc.org or Sergio Couto, the facilitator for national ICCA networks and the person responsible for the Global ICCA Registry in the ICCA Consortium.
