Indigenous Caucus of the Abya Yala

Seventh Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Statement on the last day of the Session
May 2, 2008
Florina Lopez
Kuna Nation

Thank you Madam Chairperson,

On behalf of the Indigenous caucus of the Abya Yala (America), we would like to express our
concerns regarding the adopted recommendations related to the central theme of the Seventh
Session of the Permanent Form on Indigenous Issues.

The Indigenous peoples would like to reiterate that we are the heads of our territories, and likewise
are the owners of our knowledge, innovation and practices. We reject the current Governments’
policies of exploitation of cultures, forests and water and the biodiversity that we have preserved
and conserved for the good of mankind.

We have listened attentively to the speaker of document E/c.19/2008/L.2 of the Permanent Forum,
where he does not take into account the proposals and concerns of the indigenous people regarding
the initiatives of Reduce Emission from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD), Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) and the Carbon Market.

Madam Chairperson,
The adopted recommendations on “Climate Change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the
stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges” are for us recommendations made by
Permanent Forum experts that do not necessarily reflect the position of the indigenous organisations
and nations.
We are also concerned that the initiatives of Clean Development Mechanism will be considered
examples of “good practice.”

Madam Chair,
In the statements of the indigenous representatives we did not hear a motion to support the MDL
and REDD’s initiatives of good mechanism practices.
Therefore, we reaffirm our request to eliminate completely points 5 and 37 from the aforementioned
document.
Likewise, the recommendations made by our organisations are not reflected in all of the final
documents regarding different themes.
Furthermore, we urge the members of the Permanent forum to base their recommendations in
accordance with the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to live in a
clean and healthy environment.
Lastly, we ask the chairperson to include in the act and annex to the report our declaration and
position.

We thanks you on behalf of the indigenous organisations and nations mentioned below.
Indigenous organisations and nations:
1. Coordinación de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica (COICA)
2. Fundación Para la Promoción del Conocimiento Indígena – Panamá
3. Comunidad Integradora del Saber Andino (CISA) – Ecuador
4. Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indígenas – Región Sudamérica
5. Guaman Poma – Ecuador
6. Chinchasuyu – Ecuador
7. Fundación de Desarrollo Social Dr. Manuel Naula Sagñgi
8. CONAVIGUA – Guatemala
9. Amerindian Peoples Asociation – Guyana (APA)
10. Kus Kura – Costa Rica
11. Organización de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonia Colombiana (OPIAC)
12. Confederación Indígena de Bolivia (CIDOB)
13. K´AMLB`E RECH TINAMIT IXIM ULEW – Guatemala
14. Makita Kushein Chik – Ecuador
15. Red de Mujeres Indígenas sobre Biodiversidad de Abya Yala
16. Coordinación de las organizaciones indígenas de la Amazonia Brasileira (COIAB)
17. Articulación de los Pueblos Indígenas de Nordeste, Minas Gerais y Espirito Santo (APOINME)
18. AIDESEP – Perú
19. Asociación Indígena Ambiental – Panamá
20. Amazon Alliance
21. Instituto Brasileiro de la Propiedad Intelectual - INBRAPI – Brasil
22. Asociación Red de Mujeres Indígenas Wayuu – Venezuela
23. Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE)
24. Consejo Nacional de la Mujer Indígena – Argentina
25. Taller Permanente de Mujeres Indígenas Andinas y Amazónicas del Perú
26. Parlamento Indígena de América
27. Organización Yachay Wasi ( Casa del Saber) Cusco – Perú
28. Consejo Indígena de Mesoamérica – CIMA
29. Land is Life (Tierra es Vida)
30. Asociación Para los Pueblos Amenazados
31. Federación Interprovincial de Centro Shuar – FICSH – Ecuador
32. Proyecto Kaweshkar para Pueblos Indígenas.
33. Mancxinerine Yoptowhka
34. UNIVAJA
35. COICAP
36. International Native Tradition Interchange
37. Coordinación Mapuche de Argentina
38. Indigenous Environmental Network.