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Two (2) National Indigenous Organizations
1. The Organization of the indigenous people in Suriname (OIS ) Established on 24 September 1992 2. The Association of Indigenous Village leaders in Suriname (VIDS) (De Vereniging van Inheemse Dorphoofden in Suriname) Established in October 1992
The Indigenous Peoples in Suriname and the implementation of ABS
* 1. To support and stimulate activities to promote and improve the development of the Indigenous peoples of Suriname on the basis of their own specific situation and philosophy of life; * 2. To contribute to the protection of the identity of the
Indigenous peoples of Suriname, while maintaining and further developing the culture, values and customs; * 3. To promote the unity and cooperation between the
Indigenous peoples and all other individuals and groups in Suriname.
Objectives of the OIS
* Strengthening the traditional authority * Recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples, with
emphasis on land rights * Advocacy and representation of the members (village
councils) * Strengthening identity and culture.
Objectives of the VIDS
* No definition of traditional knowledge * In our context the following characteristics: * collective nature * intergenerational character * depends on the natural environment * developed and maintained in close relationship to the culture of
the people * mostly oral transferred during its use (learn by doing) or during
special sessions for the initiated and is often not documented * holistic knowledge * this knowledge is important for the existence and survival.
Traditional Knowledge
* Includes: * the knowledge about ecosystems * season – and climate phenomena * knowledge about the way of life of animals and plants * knowledge about medicinal and other uses of flora and fauna,
medical practices * sustainable hunting – and fishing techniques * sustainable forestry – and farming systems * traditional systems of governance, participation and
consultation processes * architecture with application of natural materials * non-‐financial trading systems.
Traditional knowledge
* Indigenous peoples carry the rights over their knowledge * including the right to collective ownership of their
collective knowledge * The right to the survival and protection of their
knowledge (and hence their existence and survival) * The right to protection against theft, duplication,
manipulation, unethical in-‐eligible application and abuse of their knowledge.
Rightholders
I. The rights on traditional knowledge are part of the system of collective rights of indigenous peoples
* This knowledge is collective and holistic and depends on the context, in particular the relationship between indigenous knowledge, traditional territories, ecosystems and resources, and culture and identity.
* Traditional indigenous knowledge must therefore go hand in hand with the recognition of indigenous peoples as peoples.
* That includes the right to self-‐determination in, among others, arising: the right to control themselves to decide about themselves, and to establish their own priorities and strategies, ownership rights over the traditional lands and resources, and the right to giving informed consent according to the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
Views
* Existing systems for the protection of intellectual knowledge, such as copyrights, trademark and patent, are not suitable to understand the unique, collective and holistic nature of traditional Indigenous knowledge * There is need for other and innovative (sui generis)
regulation that can include this character to effectively protect and accomplish these rights.
Views
* Commercialization of traditional Indigenous knowledge. * Traditional knowledge not only has a financial value, it
also has a cultural, spiritual and social value for the survival of indigenous peoples.
Threats
1. To develop clear national policies in the field of protection of traditional knowledge
2. Indigenous and tribal peoples which participate fully and effectively, focusing on the protection of traditional indigenous knowledge through sui generis regulations.
3. To design such new legislation and to apply and protect in due course, the capacity of representatives of indigenous and tribal peoples, but also by government officials, be strengthened
4. Inventory of activities currently in progress in Suriname aimed at documenting, recording and/or collection of traditional indigenous knowledge. On the basis of this inventory, it is possible to require the organization concerned to respect and apply the principle of FPIC.
Strategies
Examples
Lower Marowijne: 8 Indigenous communities engage in a project to support land rights claim, strengthen the communities and guarantee sustainable use of the territory. The project included territory mapping and documentation of natural resource use in the territory.
The outcome of this project is used: -‐ as evidence in the case filed by the IACHR in 2007 -‐ In discussions and negotiations with the government -‐ Increase community awareness -‐ as a basis for land management plan.
Outcome
Threats: * Lack of land rights * Lack of recognition of customary institution and laws * Mining, logging, commercial fishing, titles to outsiders * Nature reserves * Hunting laws * Foreign educational system
* Objective: Strengthening entrepreneurship * Basic aspects: * traditional knowledge of growing to processing of
cassava * important part income agriculture * many women active in the sector, spin off one-‐parent
families * Previous initiatives and studies
Examples
* Indigenous people and Maroons use different varieties of cassava that they have developed over time by selection.
Cassava study
* Training in packaging material * Modernization processing cassava bread, kasirie and flour * Only supplying cassava, no part in the processing * Problems with extension: Indigenous peoples usually have
no individual title on the land. For this reason, they are not able to make use of the Agrarian Credit Fund (AKF). The role of the Ministry of agriculture livestock and fisheries (LVV) is to support the growers with training. In order to qualify for more support from LVV growers in Matta and Para decided to join in cooperatives
Outcome
* Signed 1992 * Ratified 1996 * ABS Nagoya protocol – non party * In 2007 National Biodiversity Strategy (NBS) * In 2007, Suriname signed UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. * Recognition of collective property rights of Indigenous peoples
and Maroons to among other things the land that they have lived on and cultivated traditionally. Although these rights are formally not yet recognized in the national legislation of Suriname, internationally Suriname has already committed itself to recognize them. A national ‘translation’ of this concept must still take place in Suriname.
* The solution of the land rights issue is a precondition to steer access to and the use of traditional knowledge with regard to biodiversity in the right direction which also contributes to the conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity.
CBD
* In 2013 National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) * Objective 3: Regulated access to genetic material and
associated traditional knowledge, with fair and equitable sharing of benefits * Access to genetic material and associated traditional
knowledge and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits in Suriname is insufficiently regulated * Involvement of Indigenous peoples and Maroons , in
accordance with the principle of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
CBD
* In general people are seen as the most important current threat. * Indigenous peoples and Maroon communities are in a disadvantaged
position compared to the population in the Coastal Zone of Suriname and see that as an important threat to biodiversity.
* The lack of local employment forces them to engage in non-‐sustainable activities in their territories, such as commercial hunting and excessive clearing of forest for shifting cultivation. Due to the lack of electricity, people cannot preserve their food (e.g. meat) for a long time and that is why they are forced to hunt and fish more than strictly necessary.
* Introduction of the cash economy in the Interior has led to the deterioration of biodiversity. In addition, respect for the traditional authorities of the villages is decreasing and traditional, sustainable use of the land and biodiversity is also decreasing. This is furthermore seen as a threat to traditional knowledge that might get lost or can be traded without involving the traditional collective owners.
Threats
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