16 May, 2013
In what may well prove to be a historic judgment for Indonesia's indigenous peoples, the Constitutional Court in Jakarta ruled today that the customary forests of indigenous peoples should not be classed as falling in 'State Forest Areas', paving the way for a wider recognition of indigenous peoples' rights in the archipelago. The judgment was made in response to a petition filed with the court by the national indigenous peoples' organisation AMAN (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara) some 14 months ago. AMAN had objected to the way the 1999 Forestry Act treats indigenous peoples' 'customary forests' as providing only weak use-rights within State Forest Areas. The judgment now opens the way for a major reallocation of forests back to the indigenous peoples who have long occupied them and looked after them. The Government's own statistics revealed last year that there are some 32,000 villages whose lands overlap areas classed as 'State Forest Areas'.
CAMV, ADEV, Réseau Cref, CEDEN, FPP
2 May, 2013
Cette trousse d’information traite de la protection du droit à la terre, territoires et ressources naturelles en droit international et en droit régional africain. Elle vise à fournir aux ONG de l’information brève et accessible sur le cadre juridique relatif aux droits des peuples autochtones et des communautés locales en RDC en ce qui a trait à leurs terres, territoires et ressources naturelles. Elle présente également de l’information utile sur les mécanismes internationaux et régionaux qui peuvent être utilisés par les ONG et les peuples autochtones et les communautés locales avec lesquels elles travaillent pour revendiquer leurs droits et faire le plaidoyer afin que le gouvernement de la RDC respecte ses obligations juridiques internationales et régionales.
16 April, 2013
The "land grabbing" in Africa and elsewhere often triggers conflict, an underreported financial risk.
Samuel Nguiffo is the Secretary General of the Centre for Environment and Development (CED), Cameroon. He is currently being sued by the government of Cameroon for tarnishing the state's reputation when he advocated against an oil palm plantation concession.
11 April, 2013
Le Centre d’Accompagnement des Autochtones Pygmées et Minoritaires Vulnérables (CAMV) a fait part de ses préoccupations quant à la situation des femmes autochtones de la RDC à la Commission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples lors de sa 53ième Session ordinaire qui s’est tenue du 9 au 23 avril à Banjul, Gambie.
Communities of Grand Cape Mount, Liberia
Published by Green Advocates and FPP
25 March, 2013
This document, and the consultations on which it is based, is intended to enable communities in Sime Darby affected areas in Grand Cape Mount, Liberia, to have their voice heard at the national level, so that government law and policy (in particular that relating to land and natural resources) can in future fit with community customary practices and community self-determined development priorities, and prevent future conflict of the kind experienced in relation to the Sime Darby concession in Grand Cape Mount.
22 March, 2013
PRESS INFORMATION - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 25 March 2013
Instances of conflict between communities and large-scale agricultural concessions have recently brought the issues of land and human rights into focus in Liberia, and throughout Africa.
Rural communities in Grand Cape Mount, north-western Liberia, have been at the sharp end of a dispute with Malaysian oil palm giant Sime Darby, that received national and international attention.
15 March, 2013
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA: Para divulgación inmediata - 15 de marzo de 2013
15 marzo 2013, Washington, DC:Líderes indígenas del Pacífico Sur y Zona Norte de Costa Rica han viajado a los Estados Unidos para presentar en una audiencia ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. El sábado 16 de marzo a las 2:30pm (hora de Costa Rica), los líderes Pablo Sivas Sivas del Pueblo Teribe, Sergio Rojas Ortiz del Clan Uniwak del Pueblo Bribri y Eliecer Velas Álvarez del pueblo Malecu presentarán oralmente ante la Comisión y otros observadores internacionales la situación de la ocupación masiva e ilegal de sus territorios. En la misma audiencia, hará una presentación el Gobierno de Costa Rica. Dice el Sr. Rojas, "Estamos felices que la Comisión Interamericana, uno de los órganos más importantes en este hemisferio para la defensa y protección de los derechos humanos, ha tomado un intéres en los territorios y derechos de los pueblos indígenas de Costa Rica."
Indonesia Nature Film Society
11 March, 2013
Land, territory and natural resources are not only viewied as an economic resource for the survival of indigenous peoples, but also identity. The identity of an existence that is contained within a value system: social, cultural and spiritual, inherited from generation to generation.
1 March, 2013
Le Groupe de Travail Climat REDD (GTCR), entité représentant la société civile congolaise dans le cadre du processus REDD+ en RDC, a bénéficié d’une formation juridique sur la protection des droits à la terre et ressources naturelles en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) du 27 février au 1er mars 2013 à Kinshasa, RDC.
28 February, 2013
The Malind Anim tribe in Zanegi village, Merauke, Papua, Indonesia are hunter gatherers who rely on the forest for their livelihoods. They are born, raised and get food from the forest. But in the village of Zanegi, times have changed. The MedCo corporation is clearing thousands of hectares of forest, with plans to convert 169,000 hectares of land to industrial tree plantations as part of the million hectaure Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, known as MIFEE.
Mist rising from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, August 2008
© FPP
Indigenous peoples' NGO representatives preparing their report for CERD, January 2010, Yaoundé, Cameroon
© Centre for Environment and Development (CED)