Indigenous Challenges Under the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) – Embracing Indigenous Knowledge and Beyond
Forthcoming in: Hrabanski and Pesche (eds) The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): Meeting the Challenge of Biodiversity Conservation and Governance Routledge, 2016
28 Pages Posted: 1 Sep 2016
Date Written: November 12, 2015
Abstract
One of the fundamental operating principles of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) requires recognition and respect for 'the contribution of indigenous and local knowledge to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.' This chapter provides an overview of the most important international legal instruments relevant for the recognition and protection of indigenous and local knowledge systems, including the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and relevant human rights instruments. Then it considers key challenges involved in embracing indigenous and local knowledge systems under IPBES, alongside other knowledge systems, from institutional, legal, scientific and practical standpoints. The chapter concludes by providing a critical assessment of the relevance, and potential contribution, of ongoing work under IPBES in the light of broader global efforts towards protecting indigenous peoples’ rights and biocultural diversity.
Keywords: the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; IPBES; traditional knowledge; indigenous peoples; local communities
JEL Classification: K33, K32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation