Strengthening Indigenous Peoples Adaptation

and Mitigation strategy and food security

through direct Access of GCF Funds
COP21, Paris, France, 1st Dec. 2015
Kimaren Ole Riamit, Director, ILEPA, Kenya

The Now: Development of a Few at the

Expense of Most
The historical and contemporary unsafeguarded development pathways influenced

by immense power differentiation dynamics e.g. political and economic, privileged

knowledge positions (markets, technology, global and national systems), numerical
advantage have given rise to a rather unequal world,
This development practice is often focused on extractive and exploitative activities
(if not plundering of nature) at the expense of not only the immediate losers but
plunderers, humanity and nature in the long run
Indigenous Peoples are where they are today as a consequence of these flawed
development pathways; they are the classical face of the dispossessed and
marginalized

Indigenous Peoples will remain at the centre

stage of Climate change impacts and
interventions

Climate change impacts and the numerous response measures adopted and

proposed (especially land use related) happen and are undertaken at the community
and/or local level,
In the case of REDD+ for example, Forests are where IPs and local communities
are Forest dependent, forest adjacent communities . Communities which are
often the poorest members of society, the poorest societies and hence most
vulnerable
Forests are concentrated within these localities due to the livelihoods and lifestyles
choices adopted by these communities - which are climate friendly, resilient, low
carbon foot print - informed by IPs values systems and cosmovisions

Impacts of Climate Change and Response

Measures on IPs
Droughts Impacts

FLOODS

Forced Evictions in the name of

cons.

Space for Indigenous Peoples Traditional

Knowledge
Indigenous Medicine
Peoples Identity, values
and nature

ADAPTATION STRATEIES

The Future: A Paradigm Shift in Dev. - The

GCF
In 2011, the GCF was launched as the operating entity of the financial
mechanism of the UNFCCC

The Fund , in the context of sustainable development is to promote the

paradigm shift towards low emission and climate-resilient development
pathways by providing support to developing countries to limit or reduce
their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate
change

Overall Governance and Institutional Arrang.

UNFCCC - COP
PS
Advisor
y Group

Independent
Integrity Unit
Independent
Evaluation
Unit

GCF Board - 24 members

GCF Secretariat
Songido, Korea 4 Units
National Designated
Authorities - NDAs

Implementing Agencies, Intermediaries

Observers - 2PS and 2CSOs

Independent
Technical
Advisory Panel
(ITAP)

Paradigm Shift On Paper: Do No Harm

On Safeguards: In the interim the GCF board adopted, the Performance
Standards (PS) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC),- Performance
standard no. 7 is on indigenous peoples

The GCF is presently developing its own Monitoring and Accountability

Framework for Accredited Entities, Environmental & Social Safeguards (ESS) and
an Information Disclosure policy

The Independent Redress Mechanism

Paradigm Shift.
On Participation - multi-stakeholder engagement (from readiness to
implementation, monitoring) is contemplated

On access to funds - devolution of funds (including directly to non-state

actors) under Enhanced Direct Access , and flexibility in proposing funding
entities is provided for.

GCF Key Result areas for funding of interest to IPs:

Tending towards a Do Good Approach
One of the ToR of NDAs is to support small scale activities with local actors
that directly address needs and benefits of vulnerable people and
communities, targeted at:

Adaptation activities to reduce climaterelated vulnerabilities;

Readiness and capacity building for adaptation and mitigation activities

Scaling up of effective communitybased adaptation (CBA) actions; and

Sustainable land use management to support mitigation and adaptation;

Negative Paradigm Shift: The GCF on the

Wrong footing with respect to IPs rights
Under the GCF Indigenous Peoples have lost their independent constituency Active

Observer status to the GCF board activities, Contrary to emerging and consolidated
international practice including within UN development agencies and human rights
system

There is no direct reference to IPs under the multi-stakeholder consultation

mechanism of GCF readiness process

The first round of projects supported by the GCF demonstrated weakness in

interpretation, application and enforcement of interim performance standards

related safeguards in context of IPs e.g. PROFONANPE with respect to FPIC

 The IFC Performance Standards do not represent international best practices, has

proved insufficient for preventing damages on the ground, and should not form the
basis for GCF safeguards
There is no clear mechanism through which IPs can access the GCF climate funds,
contrary to emerging international good practice within several multilateral and
bilateral development actors
The multi-stakeholder consultation mechanisms component of The Readiness
Phase did not receive sufficient funds for comprehensive stakeholder engagement comprising the integrity of the process of the establishment and operationalization
of National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and country focal points

Key IPs Asks to the GCF

Develop and adopt an Indigenous Peoples policy, that would contain provisions and criteria

that promote, respects and protects rights guaranteed under international human rights
standard and obligations such as the ILO 169 and UNDRIP;

Develop and adopt stringent criteria to ensure the effective engagement, consultation and

participation of indigenous peoples both in the GCF activities and at country and regional
level e.g. Nationally Designated Authority and the Implementing Entities;

Provide for Direct Active Observer status of Indigenous Peoples to the GCF Board
meetings and consider establishment of an Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group to the GCF
board on matters/projects touching on IPs

IPs Key Asks to the GCF

Indigenous peoples should have direct access to financial resources, under
the Green Climate Fund - through their representative organizations,
building on the experience and precedents of other climate funds

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 A Joint workshop with IPs, GCF Board and
Secretariat is proposed

Key Asks
The GCF must adopt the highest international safeguards standards possible, with robust

participatory design, implementation, monitoring and reviewed throughout project cycle and
that must be mandatory in nature

Produce a report on the extent to which NDAs have this far engaged with Indigenous
Peoples and other stakeholders in developing their country priorities and providing noobjection for accreditation of accredited entities;

Ensure disclosure of information that has implication to indigenous peoples and other
stakeholders.

National Designated Authorities (NDA) Implementing Entities and Intermediaries, must (in
practice, not just in paper) meet the Funds fiduciary standards and environmental and
social, including monitoring and reporting on progress.