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  

Indigenous  population  

Indigenous  population  

*  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  

Examples  

Development  of  Cassava  industry  

*  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  

*  More  capacity  building  *  Awareness  *  Communication  *  Network  

Conclusion