United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) training workshop
Community-based Monitoring, Indicators on Traditional Knowledge and
Customary Sustainable Use and Community Protocols,
within the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020
8-10 June 2015
Panajachel, Guatemala
Background and Context

The Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in
collaboration with the International Indigenous Forum (IIFB), Forest People Programme
(FPP), Natural Justice (NJ), SwedBio, and Sotzil Association, hosted a training workshop
on Community-based Monitoring, Indicators on Traditional Knowledge and Customary
Sustainable Use and Community Protocols, within the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
2011-2020, from 8 to 10 June in Panajachel, Guatemala.

At its twelfth session, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD adopted several
decisions relevant to capacity-building and effective participation of indigenous and
local communities in the work of the Convention. And, requested the CBD Secretariat to
organize and facilitate international technical workshops and regional workshops on
indicators on the status of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices and
customary sustainable use, and to further explore the added value of contributions from
indigenous and local communities’ Community-Based Monitoring and Information
Systems (CBMIS) and of applying a Multiple Evidence Base approach when monitoring
indicators on the status of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices and
customary sustainable use, in order to assess progress towards implementing the
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Objective: Pursuant to these decision, the CBD Secretariat organized the international
training workshop in Guatemala, to provide an opportunity to build and strengthen the
capacity of representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities and
government officials working on issues related to traditional knowledge, as well as to
have discussions about the gaps, challenges and recommendations to the CBD’s work.
The workshop was also used to provide advice on the development and design of
guidelines and specific content (Indicators, Customary Sustainable Use and Community
Protocols) for the four regional programs for Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific
planned by the CBD, to take place during 2016.
Equator Initiative/WIN engagement: Equator Prize winners

The Equator Initiative supported the engagement and participation of four Equator Prize
winners to ensure a community perspective was strongly represented. Mr. Diego Lynch
represented Talamanca Initiative from Costa Rica, Ms. Celia Mahung represented Toledo
Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) from Belize, Mr. Fredy Quintanilla
represented Association Bio Itza from Guatemala and Ms. Andrea Pech represented
Koolel-Kab/Muuchkambal from Mexico.
Workshop Proceedings

The global workshop took place at Hotel y Centro de Convenciones Jardin del Lago in
Panajachel, Guatemala. It began with a presentation on community protocols and the
Nagoya Protocols by Mr. John Scott, CBD Programme Officer on Traditional
Knowledge. The representative from Natural Justice, Mr. Jael E. Makagon followed,
noting that community protocols should have the input of the broadest sample of
community members, and should be a process led by the community in which the
community’s customary norms and values are stated. The indigenous representative of
Panama, Mr. Onel Masardule, introduced a broader concept of bio-cultural protocols
emphasizing the interconnection between culture and biodiversity. The representative
of Brazil, Mr. Henri Ibanez de Novion provided participants with an overview of the
new access and benefit sharing legislation in Brazil for genetic resources and associated
traditional knowledge.

Lourdes Laureano from Pacari Network, Equator Prize winner from Brazil presented
her experience in developing a community protocol for traditional medicine, to allow
the community to articulate their vision of their rights and resources and allow them to
market their traditional medicines. The representative of Bolivia, Ms. Sorka Copa
Romero spoke of the Bolivian experience of developing community protocols and
introduced the national law under development to protect traditional knowledge. The
representative from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Mr. Baltazar
Moscoso talked about the use of seed banks in-situ conservation, and food security,
explaining the role of indigenous and local community women and the traditional
processes of seed saving.

The second day of the workshop, representatives of the FPP Mr. Maurizio Ferrari and
Ms. Caroline de Jong provided an introduction to article 10(c) of the Convention, the
background to the global Plan of Action for Customary Sustainable Use of the CBD, and
shared various case studies on common customary rules. Participants provided
examples from their own experiences regarding customary rules that assist to ensure
sustainability. The indigenous representative of Guyana, Chief Kokol presented on the
experience of the Wai Wai people who used community mapping to assert their rights
to customary sustainable use.

The Executive Director of the FPP, Ms. Joji Cariño spoke about the links between the
Convention and other international processes including the Post 2015 Development
Agenda and the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also
introduced the four CBD indicators for traditional knowledge: status and trends in
traditional languages, status and trends in traditional occupations, changes in land use
and security of land tenure on traditional territories, and participation of indigenous and
local communities in the revision of the NBSAPs (National Biodiversity Strategy and
Action Plans).

The representative of the Wai Wai people of Guyana, Chief Kokol shared examples of
how modern technologies, including the use of drones, are being used for continually
updating community maps and community based monitoring and information systems
(CBMIS).The representative of the Maori indigenous people of New Zealand, Ms. Tui
Shortland, presented on the use of traditional knowledge and modern technologies to
design a catchment management plan for their territories. And representative of the
indigenous peoples of Siberia (Russia), Ms. Polina Shulbaeva provided a detailed
presentation on how her people are monitoring traditional occupations in light of
increasing extractive industries on her traditional lands.

Ms. Joji Carino from FPP talked about the indigenous navigator: a set of tools for
indigenous peoples to systematically monitor the level of recognition and
implementation of their rights (navigator.iwgia.org). Mr. Diego Lynch, representing
Equator Prize winner from Costa Rica, Talamanca Initiative, presented on the use of
CBMIS in streams and lakes. Talamanca minimized destructive agricultural practices in
the region by establishing diversified agroforestry systems that mimic the natural forest,
thus preserving not only the biodiversity of the region but also the watersheds. The data
has been used to inform discussions on the construction of dams and extractive
industries in the area.

Mr. William Dunbar from UN University Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability spoke about the value of resilience indicators as effective tools to engage
local communities in adaptive management of the landscapes and seascapes. The 20
indicators capture different aspects of key systems: ecological, agricultural, cultural and
socio-economic. Mr. Fredy Quintanilla, representing Equator Prize winner from
Guatemala, Bio-Itza Association, described the work the Itza people are doing in their
community to preserve their natural heritage and traditional livelihoods. The Itza
incorporate Mayan cultural traditions into conservation work, including the communitybased monitoring of charismatic species.

The last day of the workshop, participants worked in regional groups to discuss four
regional training workshops, organized by the CBD to be held in 2016. The
representative from Belarus Ms. Elena Makeyeva used the opportunity to present on
the situation in her country regarding genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Mr. Maurizio Ferrari from FPP also provided an overview of the 4th edition of the
Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO4), including the role of IPs and LCs in developing
additional support publications, such as the Local Biodiversity Outlooks (LBOs). Lastly,
Mr. John Scott from the CBD Secretariat presented the provisional agenda for the ninth
meeting of the Working Group on Article 8(j) to take place in Montreal, Canada, from 47 November 2015.

The workshop concluded with a presentation by the CBD Secretariat on their plans for
the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (COP 13) to take place in Mexico in 2016; followed by a presentation from the
representative of the Government of Mexico Ms. Emilia Blancarte regarding logistics
and preparations in the lead up to the COP 13.

All workshop participants received a certificate to attest they had successfully
completed the training workshop and were invited to submit their nomination to
participate in the CBD training workshops to take place during 2016.
Conclusion

The workshop contributed to the achievement of the CBD’s Strategic Plan on
Biodiversity 2011-2020 and addressed issues under the Nagoya Protocol related to
traditional knowledge at the local, national and regional levels. Participants were able to
learn about indicators on traditional knowledge and customary sustainable use of
biodiversity (potentially contributing to the implementation of Target 18 of the Strategic
Plan for Biodiversity). They also learned to develop Community Protocols on traditional
knowledge, and their contributions to the process of the entering into force and the
implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (through national
legislation), to achieve Target 16 of the Strategic Plan of Biodiversity.