First published on 12/31/2006, and last updated on 06/22/2017
The 8th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 8), held in Curitiba, Brazil, in 2006, was also the first since the adoption of the landmark Programme of Work in Protected Areas (Decision VII/28) in 2004.
COP 8 Decisions contained three references to ICCAs, all in relation to financing and financial mechanisms for protected areas. Using the same text in two separate decisions, the CBD Parties invited the Global Environment Facility to support community-conserved areas and ensure the immediate, full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the development of relevant activities (Decision VIII/18, para 29(e); Decision VIII/24, para 22(e)). While committing more broadly to review implementation of PoWPA, the Decision on protected areas also invited Parties to consider funding mechanisms to support indigenous and local communities’ conserved areas as part of financial plans for protected area systems (Decision VIII/24, para 18(f)(vii)).
Although it fell short of explicitly referring to ICCAs, Decision XIII/24 also called for: (a) support for institutional strengthening and improved governance of protected areas management authorities, including those of indigenous and local communities, and building capacities of protected area officials and members of community-based management initiatives (Decision XIII/24, para 18(g)); and (b) support for the conservation and sustainable use initiatives of indigenous and local communities in implementation of PoWPA (Decision VIII/24, para 27(c)).
These Decisions provided a useful policy basis for national-level engagement between indigenous peoples, local communities and supporting organisations and state Parties to the CBD in order to secure financial support for ICCAs.
All COP 8 Decisions are available online.
