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COP 23 launches the operationalization of the platform
source: https://incaalpacas.wordpress.com/category/uncategorized/
At COP 23, Parties initiated the operationalization
of the local communities and indigenous peoples platform, and decided that the overall purpose of
the platform will be:
- To strengthen the knowledge, technologies, practices and efforts of local communities and
indigenous peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change,
- To facilitate the exchange of experience and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned
on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner, and
- To enhance the engagement of local communities and indigenous peoples in the UNFCCC process;
Parties also decided that the platform will deliver the following three functions:
a) Knowledge: the platform should promote:
- the exchange of experience and best practices aiming at applying, strengthening, protecting and
preserving traditional knowledge, knowledge of indigenous peoples, and local knowledge systems as
well as technologies, practices and efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples
related to addressing and responding to climate change;
- taking into account the free, prior and informed consent of the holders of such knowledge,
innovations and practices;
(b) Capacity for engagement: the platform should build the capacities of:
- indigenous peoples and local communities to enable their engagement in the UNFCCC
process;
- Parties and other relevant stakeholders to engage with the platform and with local communities
and indigenous peoples, including in the context of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and
other climate change related processes;
(c) Climate change policies and actions: the platform should facilitate:
- the integration of diverse knowledge systems, practices and innovations in designing and
implementing international and national actions, programmes and policies in a manner that respects
and promotes the rights and interests of local communities and indigenous peoples;
- stronger and more ambitious climate action by indigenous peoples and local communities that
could contribute to the achievement of the nationally determined contributions of the Parties
concerned;
As the platform gets further operationalized, Parties recommended to take into account, inter alia,
the interests and views of local communities and indigenous peoples, as well as the principles
proposed by indigenous peoples organizations of:
- full and effective participation of indigenous peoples;
- equal status of indigenous peoples and Parties, including in leadership roles;
- self-selection of indigenous peoples representatives in accordance with indigenous
peoples’ own procedures; and
- adequate funding from the secretariat and voluntary contributions to enable the implementation
of the functions of the platform.
Upcoming activities in 2018
The first activity of the platform will be a multi-stakeholder workshop on implementing the three
functions of the platform. The workshop will be co-designed and co-moderated by the Chair of the
Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and a representative of local
communities and indigenous peoples organizations.
Next steps in the operationalization of the platform will be considered at SBSTA 48 in
April–May 2018, with a view to forwarding recommendations to the twenty-fourth session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP 24) in December 2018.
At SBSTA 48, Parties should consider:
- the establishment of a facilitative working group, which would not be a negotiating body under
the Convention, with balanced representation of local communities and indigenous peoples and Parties,
and
- the modalities for the development of a workplan for the full implementation of the three
functions.
Background information
COP 21 established the platform
The Paris Agreement acknowledged the role that indigenous peoples and local communities play in
building a world that is resilient in the face of climate impacts.
Through decision 
1/CP.21 paragraph 135, COP 21 recognized the need to strengthen the knowledge, technologies,
practices and efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples related to addressing and
responding to climate change, and established a platform for the exchange of experience and sharing
of best practices on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner.
COP 22 adopted an incremental approach to the operationalization of the platform
COP 22 then agreed to adopt an incremental approach to developing the local communities and
indigenous peoples platform with a view to ensuring its effective operationalization. The COP
President requested developed country Parties and other Parties and non-Party stakeholders in a
position to do so to provide financial resources for operationalizing the platform, in particular to
enable representatives of IPOs to participate in the multi-stakeholder dialogue.
The different steps of that incremental approach are captured in figure 1 below. For further details,
see COP 22
report, paragraphs 165-169.
The following steps as part of the incremental approach have been completed:
- Parties and other stakeholders submitted their
views on the purpose, content and structure of the platform, in order to inform the
multi-stakeholder dialogue;
- The Chair of the SBSTA convened an open multi-stakeholder dialogue at
SBSTA 46 on the operationalization of the platform, co-moderated by the Chair of the SBSTA and
a representative of IPOs. Belgium and New Zealand contributed towards operationalization of
the platform, in enabling participation of IPOs for the dialogue.
- The secretariat prepared a report based on the 29 submissions and the two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue.
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