15th December, 2022
All Burma Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance – ABIPA as the representative body of the indigenous communities across Myanmar attended the CBD CoP15 event at Montreal, Canada between 5th to 12th of December.
The ABIPA team comprised of four members: Frankie Abreu Paul Sein Twa, Athong Makury and Eh Htee Wah left Chiang Mai, Thailand for Montreal, Canada on 4th December and arrived on 5th December. The team after the registration participated CBD CoP15 event along with side events and conducted a press conference. APIBA attended and conducted events under the title: Sharing Myanmar Issues with Others Indigenous Peoples’ Networks. The events ABIPA attended are:
• Dialogue on Indigenous and community leadership in conservation (6.12.2022)
• All Our Relation: Exploring the role of relationships, partnerships, and networks in supporting indigenous peoples and local communities (7.12.2022)
• Sharing the samples of ICCAs and the role of Indigenous People (8.12.2022)
• Women, Land and environmental defender (8.12.2022)
• Rangers for 30 by 30 perspectives on new needs and new approaches (9.12.2022)
• Conflict, Oppression and Indigenous Territories of Life: Local Solutions to Global Challenges in Burma (10.12.2022).
• Press Conference – Conflict, Oppression and Indigenous Territories of Life: Local Solutions to Global Challenges in Burma (12.12.2022).
• Meeting with Inter Pares and Global Affairs, Canada
• Networking with the Myanmar diaspora in Canada for future collective advocacy at the international platformt the ABIPA team with the aim of Building a Network among the Territories of Life attended the event
successfully and highlighted the situation of the indigenous communities across the country who have been for millennia taking care of one of the last remaining biodiversity hotspots in the world, their
role and contribution along with their identity have been denied by the successive governments in Myanmar. ABIPA also made known to the world that amid the already difficulties faced by the indigenous
communities in Myanmar, the Feb 1 military has worsened the situation further threatening their existing lives and future clouded with uncertainty. The ABIPA team attended the CBD CoP15 event with the following objectives:
• To highlight the situation of the Territories of Life in Myanmar before and after the coup
• To advocate the rights of the indigenous peoples in Myanmar
• To build a network with the indigenous peoples’ groups from all over the world
• To find ways and means to advance the advocacy initiatives of ABIPA for the indigenous peoples in Myanmar.
2022 UN CBD CoP15 event can be marked as a milestone for indigenous communities around the world. The Global Biodiversity Framework comes with a new language that says “the indigenous peoples as “the guardians of the biodiversity”. While this development is being appreciated, National Biodiversity Action Plans – NBSAPs targeting 30% of global biodiversity to be conserved by 2030 can also be seen as a huge threat to those indigenous peoples in countries like Myanmar where the indigenous peoples are not recognized and respected. It poses a serious concern that this target will become a global drive for land grab in the indigenous territories in the name of biodiversity conservation leading to the dispossession of land for the indigenous peoples and loss of biodiversity as a reverse effect.
At this juncture, ABIPA maintains that in order for the CBD’s Global Biodiversity Framework to be a success, it must work with indigenous people, biodiversity’s front-line defenders, and not against them.
As we conclude this, we call for:
1. Guaranteed protections for indigenous communities and their territories: Customary and Indigenous Rights have never been recognized at National Level in Burma. These rights must be enshrined in any future bottom-up Federal Myanmar. This is a key issue for IPs across Burma,
and a dire threat to the Globally Important Nature that we steward.
2. Sustainable access to and decision-making power over funding is a continuing concern. We need to shift the paradigm away from donor driven project and targets, and refocus on listening to
local community needs so that the vast pot of Global Climate and Conservation funding can be used effectively. To ensure the sustainability of community-driven projects like the SPP donors need to think long and hard about grant accessibility, including simplifying requirements and
ensuring fair access.
3. IP decision-making power is also important in International Legal Instruments like the CBD, where we continue to be denied any meaningful input. This leads to potentially disastrous
targets and mechanisms like 30 by 30 and OECMs, which rely on National Governments to decide whether they will recognize IP territories as beneficial or harmfulto Global Conservation. Burma
is a clear example that this is not enough.
Gallery Highlight Events of ABIPA at COP15
All Our Relation: Exploring the role of relationships, partnerships, and networks in supporting indigenous peoples and local communities (7.12.2022)
In this side event, Paul Sein Twa stressed on the importance of relation between the communities, people and nature. Paul also shared stories and experiences from Salween Peace Park and mentioned empowerment, solidarity, communication and importance of changing ODA paradigm.
Dialogue on Indigenous and Community Leadership in Conservation (6.12.2022)
Paul Sein Twa attended the event Dialogue on Indigenous and Community Leadership in Conservation held at McGill Event Hall. Paul highlighted on the importance of indigenous communities in the conservation of the environment and biodiversity. Sharing his experience working among the Karen indigenous communities, he mentioned that the indigenous communities in Myanmar are facing enormous challenges from SAC administration that staged a military coup 2021. He also touched on important issues such as legal, political, displacement, development, conservation etc., which stand as practical challenges for the indigenous communities.
Sharing the samples of ICCAs and the role of Indigenous People (8.12.2022)
Athong Makury attended the event which is organized by WWF Myanmar and chaired by Tina from Women for Biodiversity. The event had participants from WWF Myanmar, ABIPA, Point and Thai indigenous representative. The participants discussed on samples of ICCAs from Myanmar and Thailand where the indigenous communities have been actively conserving and protecting the environment and biodiversity in their own traditional ways. ABIPA has also highlighted the importance of the recognition of the indigenous peoples while the member states set the target for the 30×30 Global Biodiversity Framework and NBSAPs. The indigenous communities from the member states who have not been recognized are concerned that this global drive will become a license to grab and dispossess indigenous land and territories, eventually leading to loss of last remaining biodiversity hotspots around the world.
Women, Land and environmental defender (8.12.2022)
Eh Htee Wah attended this side event held at the Conference venue. As an indigenous youth and women’s representative, she spoke on the role the indigenous women and youth play and contribution they make in defending the environment and biodiversity in Myanmar. She also highlighted that Myanmar is currently under an extraordinary situation wherein women and youth are being targeted by the military government in their attempt to crack down the opposition. She stressed that the role of women and youth remained crucial in protecting the environment and biodiversity in Myanmar amid the military coup.
Rangers for 30 by 30 Perspectives on New Needs and New Approaches (9.12.2022)
Frank Abreu attended the event and spoke on the role of forest rangers in relation to the indigenous peoples who are also forest rangers by default. Drawing examples from the Karen indigenous communities and their relationship with nature, Frankie stressed that the indigenous peoples are in constant relationship with their forest through their traditional practices such as farming, hunting, collecting NTPFs, etc. In doing so, the indigenous communities are performing the duty of rangers voluntarily. He also maintains that it is importance to recognize the role and contribution of the indigenous peoples legally.
Conflict, Oppression and Indigenous Territories of Life: Local Solutions to Global Challenges in Burma (10.12.2022)
This side event is organized by ABIPA in collaboration with ICCA Consortium. The event was moderated by Tina from Women for Biodiversity and Gabriel Kissinger gave an expert analysis on the role and contribution of the indigenous peoples in Myanmar for biodiversity and the environment. ABIPA highlighted the situation of the indigenous peoples from across Myanmar who are caught up in between the military coup and climate change crises. The event mentioned it is important and crucial to supporting the indigenous communities in Myanmar as they strive to maintain their environment and biodiversity amid the inhuman coup affecting every part of the country while the indigenous communities are suffering the most.
Press Conference – Conflict, Oppression and Indigenous Territories of Life: Local Solutions to Global Challenges in Burma (12.12.2022)
The ABIPA is also privileged to hold a press conference at the CBD event on 12th of December 2022. This press conference mainly focused on the indigenous territories of life that are experiencing untold difficulties amid conflict and oppression after the military coup. Through this press conference, ABIPA calls on the international community to support the indigenous communities in Myanmar so that the indigenous communities can effectively participate in the global effort for biodiversity conservation. ABIPA also cautioned that the international community must be aware of the real context in Myanmar so that their support would not go into the hand of coup makers who are actually perpetrating environmental crimes instead of protecting the environment and biodiversity.
Meeting with Inter Pares, Ottawa (14.12.2022)
The ABIPA team left Montreal on the 13th of December to Ottawa for meetings with Inter Pares and Global Affairs, Canada. On the 14th of December, the ABIPA team and Inter Pares held a meeting on the role of international donors in the context of the military coup in Myanmar. ABIPA also highlighted the importance of working with and empowering the CSOs and cross-border humanitarian aid delivery.
Meeting with Global Affairs, Canada (15.12.2022
It is also important to note that ABIPA was invited by Global Affairs, Canada to brief on the situation of Myanmar with a special focus on the indigenous peoples. The meeting was organized and chaired by Inter Pares, and attended by participants from Inter Pares, Global Affairs and ABIPA. After introducing the participants, ABIPA expresses thanks and appreciation to the Government of Canada for supporting the democracy movement in Myanmar and speaking out for the oppressed communities in Myanmar at international platforms. While ABIPA and Inter Pares appreciate the role and contribution of the Government of Canada in the democracy movement in Myanmar, the two teams encourage GA to continue to support the opposition forces and IDPs. ABIPA also raised a danger working and collaborating with the SAC who continues to commit atrocities on the public and indigenous peoples across the country, and environmental crimes in the indigenous territories.
Visits to Myanmar diaspora in Canada for future collective advocacy
The ABIPA team also visited Myanmar diaspora and Canadian Karen networks in Toronto and in Windsor between 16-20 December. The team had exchanged experiences working on the ground amid the coup situation in Myanmar and advocacy activities at the international platforms. ABIPA also highlighted the situation of the indigenous peoples in Myanmar whose territories are turning into conflict zones after the coup. ABIPA stressed on the challenges faced by the indigenous peoples on daily basis from the coup makers and their troops. ABIPA also could build a relationship with the Myanmar diaspora in Canada for future collaboration and advocacy works with regard to the rights of the indigenous peoples and their role in conservation of the environment and biodiversity. The meetings were also attended by women and youth representatives and the participants stressed on the importance of the participation of women and youth.
