The Green Climate Fund and FPIC - A call for the adoption of an indigenous peoples' policy: The lessons from a wetland project in Peru

Under considerable expectations and pressure to deliver shortly before the beginning of the UNFCCC 21st Conference of the Parties to be held in Paris, the Board of the Green Climate Fund  (GCF) considered the first projects for funding at its meeting in Zambia in early November, 2015.  One project presented to the GCF by Peruvian Implementing Entity (IE) PROFONANPE contains a proposal for wetland management with the participation of indigenous peoples in the province of Loreto in the eastern Amazon region. Being the first project adopted by the Green Climate Fund that has relevance for indigenous peoples, it represents an important precedent and a case study to substantiate the need for the Fund to develop strong monitoring, compliance and recourse mechanisms as well as an indigenous peoples’ policy based on the highest international standards and aligned to international human rights instruments and standards such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The project has raised concerns on the Green Climate Fund’s capacity to ensure the respect of the indigenous peoples’ rights to territories, land and resources, effective consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The PROFONANPE case shows that the Green Climate Fund will need to develop its own capacity to fully assess and ensure compliance with international human rights standards and obligations relevant to indigenous peoples. In order to be accountable and apply appropriate standards, the PROFONANPE experience demonstrates the need for the GCF to adopt a robust policy on indigenous peoples, which must fully recognize the relevance of international standards and obligations such as those enshrined in the UNDRIP. It must adopt the core FPIC standard and must also enable direct access to GCF funding for indigenous peoples’ own projects and climate initiatives.

Read the full Briefing Paper here

En español: Nota informativa FPP/Tebtebba GCF PROFANANPE