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Dear Brothers and Sisters of the indigenous movements
Members of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin – COICA
Just having arrived from a long meeting held in Bonn – Germany , we bring you the topics discussed during the Ninth Conference of the Parties (COP-9) for the Convention on Biological Diversity. Over the course of the week, we will be publishing information on our website www.coica.org.ec . We participated in the conference by sending delegates from the following organizations; COIAB – Brazil, AIDESEP – Peru, OIS – Surinam, APA – Guyana and CIDOB – Bolivia. Each of the topics will be included in the activities of the general plan for follow-up and shall become focus issues for each national organization, as the Amazon Basin and the indigenous peoples that inhabit it are and have been pioneers in its conservation. Notwithstanding, we have in the past been excluded from participation in activities regarding biodiversity. For this rea son we will work towards the next COP 10, to be held in Japan in 2010, to call all institutions connected to the indigenous movement to work collectively to protect the rights of indigenous peoples and natural resources. We wish to take part in the effort to curb climate change, which is the result of the massive deforestation that takes place. Only in this manner can AMAZONIA save the lives of everyone on this planet.
The Ninth Conference of the Parties (COP 9) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which took place in Bonn, Germany, from May 19-30, ended on Friday. The meeting had 4,000 delegates present, representing the parties, and more than 500 representatives of indigenous organizations and communities from around the world, at the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB). NGOs and other groups also participated.
A total of 37 decisions were made on several biodiversity-related topics, including:
Agricultural biological diversity and biofuels; biological diversity; the Worldwide Strategy for Conservation of Plant Species; exotic invasive species (EIS); forest biological diversity; incentives; an ecosystemic approach; progress in implementing the Strategic Plan and the goal of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by the year 2010; the Millennium Development Goals (MDG); and funding and funding mechanisms. Other background and strategic issues included: access and participation in benefits; Article 8 (j) and associated provisions; technology transfer and cooperation; monitoring, assessment and indicators; biological diversity and climate change; biological diversity of arid and sub-humid areas; protected areas (Pas); biological diversity of continental waters; biological diversity of marine and coastal waters; biological diversity of islands; the World Taxonomy Initiative (WTI); accountability and reparation; cooperation with other conventions and participation of stakeholders; operations under the Agreement; scientific and technical cooperation and the facilitation mechanism (CHM); guidance on financial mechanisms and communication; education and public awareness (CEPA).
The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) strove to influence parties to the CBD and received significant support from parties from Latin America, including: Guatemala, Panama, Honduras and Bolivia. These member states supported the IIFB proposals for the protection of Mother Earth.
We shall soon send you the results of COP 9 “ADVANCES AND SETBACKS” - Vision of the indigenous peoples.
We ask all member and friendly organization to disseminate this broadly to your contacts.
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