Including Indigenous and Local Knowledge in the IPBES

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) informs policy and decision-making on biodiversity and ecosystem services. (It is an equivalent of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) under the Climate Change Convention.)  However, IPBES goes beyond just conventional scientific knowledge. IPBES recognises indigenous and local knowledge (and diverse knowledge systems) in its conceptual framework and work programme.

The challenge is how to ensure indigenous peoples and local communities can effectively participate and contribute to IPBES work, which works largely by conventional scientific approaches and procedures. Will IPBES become a useful and effective platform for indigenous peoples and local communities? If so, how can this engagement be optimised?

The third plenary of IPBES (‘IPBES-3’) met in Bonn, Germany during 12-27 January. While the platform is still in its early stages (it was established in April 2012) and details are still being debated (for instance, this meeting decided on a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and the admission of observers), its work is proceeding at a very rapid pace. Various regional and thematic assessments are already being scoped and planned, whilst approaches and procedures to incorporate indigenous and local knowledge are still being elaborated. 

There are still questions concerning how and when indigenous and local knowledge holders will be identified and reached. The IPBES Task Force on Indigenous and Local Knowledge, formed to develop approaches and procedures for working with different knowledge systems, invited contributions from indigenous and local communities to the assessment of pollination and pollinators associated with food production but their main work is still to be done in 2015-2016.

The interest from the demand side is clear, but the benefits to communities are less clear. Indigenous and local community organisations who are already engaged in community-based monitoring initiatives are concerned that there might be a steep increase in the demands/requests placed on indigenous networks or groups, while many of them are struggling to find funding or support for their local-level work.  The priority for communities is resource mobilisation to continue their monitoring and data-gathering work.

A critical observation and concern voiced by indigenous and local community participants to the meeting, is that indigenous peoples and local communities have not been successful in gaining recognition as a distinct group of ‘stakeholders’ but formally participate as one group in a very diverse stakeholder group, which includes academics, NGOs, industry, scientific and research bodies and others. While expressing their solidarity with other stakeholders, the indigenous participants stressed they will continue to interact with the process in their own capacity as knowledge and rights holders.

Despite these hurdles, IIFBES has engaged proactively with indigenous views on consultation and involvement. It welcomed the work done by the Task Force on Indigenous and Local Knowledge and emphasised that it stands ready to continue to support and advise on this work.

Full outcomes are available here: www.ipbes.net/bonn-2.html