FAO at the Twentieth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high-level advisory body that reports to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is the central coordinating body for matters relating to the concerns and rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. The Permanent Forum was established with six mandate areas related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. The Permanent Forum is one of three UN bodies that is mandated to deal specifically with Indigenous Peoples’ issues. The others are the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum sessions are held annually, each session is thematically focused on a specific issue. The Twentieth Session of the Permanent Forum was held from Tuesday, 20 April to Friday, 30 April 2021 with the overarching theme of, “Peace, justice and strong institutions: the role of Indigenous Peoples in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 16”.
FAO side-events and engagements
FAO’s work with Indigenous Peoples is at the heart of its mandate. Indigenous Peoples are key allies in the achievement of FAOs main objectives of eliminating hunger, food security and malnutrition; fighting poverty; making agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable and caring for the earth, through their traditional knowledge and their deep connection with nature and their surroundings. They are disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation, political-economic marginalization and development activities that negatively affect their ecosystems, livelihoods, cultural heritage and nutritional status. Nevertheless, Indigenous Peoples are providers of valuable knowledge and skills that contribute to sustainable development and natural resources management. Indigenous Peoples must be considered an undeniable stakeholder in a development agenda.
In line with this, FAO organized and participated in a range of side-events during the (UNPFII). The below provides a snapshot of discussions and FAO’s engagement.
Contributions of Indigenous youth in the strengthening of Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems
Speakers called for engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples, particularly in decision-making. Indigenous Peoples’ lifestyles, food systems, culture and connection to the earth have been important sources of resilience. They highlighted the contributions of Indigenous women and youth in the strengthening and preserving of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, especially in the context of the COVID-19, the ways in which Indigenous youth have applied their own solutions to face the pandemic. Their voices and their contributions need to be heard. Indigenous Peoples are the guardians of 80 percent of global biodiversity, and they hold undeniable knowledge and experience that can improve food security and nutrition around the world.
FAO announced that it will be organizing a Global Forum on Indigenous Youth, which will significantly contribute to the discussions leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit. The UN Food Systems Summit Secretariat reaffirmed its commitment to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ engagement and participation in the UN Food Systems Summit and global dialogues.
Sustainable Development Goal 16 and Indigenous Peoples' collective rights: The role of FAO in contributing to achieving peace and justice for Indigenous Peoples
The side-event shed light on the challenges Indigenous Peoples face, including extractive pressure on natural resources and legal uncertainty, lack of security and tenure of their lands and territories, lack of recognition in legal frameworks and of their collective rights, among other issues. Speakers noted that the criminalization of Indigenous Peoples has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a huge responsibility to ensure the security of Indigenous Peoples, to protect their rights through legislation, and to improve environmental laws.
To achieve SDG 16, FAO asserts that it is critical to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights to land, territories and resources, as well as to preserve their languages and traditional knowledge. In response to the special theme of the 20th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: "Peace, justice and strong institutions: the role of Indigenous Peoples in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 16", FAO has embarked on an initiative to write a paper that aims to analyze the relationship between SDG 16 and Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights, that are at the corner stone of most of their intervention. Despite its mandate not being intrinsically related to justice and the rule of law, FAO is supportive of UN efforts and the initiatives of Indigenous Peoples' organisations and universities to raise awareness and build capacity on Indigenous Peoples' rights. The paper shares experiences and proposes actions to advance towards the realization of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to lands and waters, territories, and resources, urging the Members to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights as an avenue to achieve the SDG 16.
Towards the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022): Indigenous Peoples inland small-scale fisheries for healthy food systems
Indigenous Peoples play a fundamental role in fisheries. Their vast knowledge cannot be lost due to the growing threat of climate change. The techniques adopted by Indigenous Peoples to generate food in harmony with nature, combining fishing and food gathering, shifting cultivation with hunting, have enabled them to preserve the large majority of the world’s biodiversity within their territories. However, these activities are dependent upon the collective rights and access to communal resources including lakes, lands, forests and seeds.
The side-event highlighted the need to include Indigenous Peoples in the celebration of IYAFA 2022, in particular those depending on inland waters, as they are an integral part of this fundamental group of food producers as they can play a fundamental in the healthy food system debate. The forthcoming FAO/Bioversity publication on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems: Insights on sustainability from the front line of climate change acknowledges this importance, but more is needed to include Indigenous Peoples inland fisheries in the global dialogues on sustainable food systems, including in the context of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.
In February of this year, FAO Members committed to support and recognize the contribution of small-scale fisheries in agriculture and food security to employment and income. The importance of healthy and well-functioning ecosystems was highlighted as essential to our food security. The work of Indigenous Peoples under the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems was commended – providing evidence-based information on the sustainable and resilient elements of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems. Recognizing the importance of food systems is key to preserve and promote knowledge systems and best practices.
Indigenous Peoples' agency to contribute to Action Track 3 and Action Track 4's game-changing initiatives
Indigenous Peoples representatives highlighted the need to be involved as right holders and not as stakeholders in the UN Food Systems Summit. The side-event highlighted Indigenous Peoples’ game-changing solutions identified within Action Tracks 3 to Boost nature-positive production and Action Track 4 to Advance equitable livelihoods at scale. It also brought stakeholders together and showcase specific examples on how Indigenous Peoples’ agency is supported and how it contributes to sustainable food systems
Fostering Indigenous Peoples agency is key to ensuring food systems are sustainable and transformative, not only in Action Track 3 and 4 but also in Action Track 5, Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress. FAO highlighted that Action Track 3 recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge as part of the game-changing solution. It is crucial for Indigenous leaders to have a seat at the table to share their holistic approach to food systems and convey their perspectives at global, regional and national levels. The Summit is not the end, but only the beginning, the summit outcomes can catalyze action on the ground and foster coalitionbuilding to support Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge systems.