COVID-19, Regulatory Rollback and the ‘Green Recovery’: Indigenous Peoples Raise Their Voices | Land Portal
Organizers: 
Ford Foundation

We believe in the inherent dignity of all people. But around the world, too many people are excluded from the political, economic, and social institutions that shape their lives. 

The Tenure Facility

The International Land and Forest Tenure Facility is focused on securing land and forest rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. We are the first financial mechanism to exclusively fund projects working towards this goal while reducing conflict, driving development, improving global human rights, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

TR Foundation.jpg

The Thomson Reuters Foundation was created to advance and promote the highest standards in journalism worldwide through media training and humanitarian reporting.

For over three decades, we have been informing, connecting and empowering people around the world through our free programmes and services.

We support our work through a combination of core annual donation from Thomson Reuters , other donations and sponsorships, through external funding from other organisations as well as grants specifically dedicated to supporting our core programmes.

As COVID-19 has hobbled governments around the world, environmental protections have diminished or disappeared altogether, leaving the door wide open for abuse, corruption, land grabs. Indigenous peoples and their territories are prime targets to pillage during this vulnerable period.

 

 

 

 

COVID-19 is already negatively affecting indigenous land rights, particularly for those who already face food insecurity as a result of land confiscation or grabbing and the loss of their territories. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the expropriation of indigenous lands and natural resources and the increase in conflicts on their territories were already placing indigenous peoples in a particularly precarious situation. The crisis has led to reports of encroachment upon indigenous land by opportunists, such as illegal loggers and miners. In the Amazon, threats, killings and land-grabbing are all reportedly on the rise, fuelled by mainstream political trends. The United Nations has expressed alarm over attacks in Nicaragua, in Panama our partners report a spike in illegal logging and land clearance in the absence of state authorities, and in Colombia drug gangs and militias are profiting from current uncertainty to step up their deadly activities.

Additionally, numerous governments have announced plans to lower environmental standards and rollback regulatory standards. These policies are likely to result in accelerated deterioration of the environment and have negative impacts on the environment, and in particular for Indigenous Peoples.

On the other end of the spectrum, countries and communities see the COVID-19 crisis as a unique opportunity to seize upon a green and inclusive recovery. There is an increasing recognition of the need to scale up investments in sustainable mobility, renewable energy, building renovations, research and innovation, the recovery of biodiversity and the circular economy. Proposals include scaling up green investments and financing, as well as promoting a just transition to a green economy.

This webinar explored the effects of regulatory rollbacks on indigenous communities, and centered upon how indigenous communities can benefit from and contribute to global efforts to scale up green investments, financing and transitioning to a just and sustainable green economy.

 

Moderator

 

Rina Chandran 

 Rina Chandran
Thomson Reuters Foundation

 

 

Panelists

 

Kirsten Francescone, Mining Watch Canada
Kirsten Francescone
Mining Watch Canada

 

Cristina Coc, Maya Indigenous Leader
Cristina Coc
Maya Indigenous Leader

 

 
 


Nonette Royo, Executive Director, The Tenure Facility
Nonette Royo
Executive Director
The Tenure Facility

Jose (Beto) Roberto Borges, Director, Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative, Forest Trends
Jose (Beto) Roberto Borges
Communities and Territorial
Governance Initiative
Forest Trends

 

 

Related content: 
Library Resource
COVID-19, Regulatory Rollback and the ‘Green Recovery’: Indigenous Peoples Raise Their Voices

A Webinar Report

Reports & Research
October, 2020
Global

COVID-19 has negatively affected indigenous land rights, particularly for those who already face food insecurity as a result of land confiscation or grabbing and the loss of their territories. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the expropriation of indigenous lands and natural resources and the increase in conflicts on their territories were already placing indigenous peoples in a particularly precarious situation. The crisis has led to reports of encroachment upon indigenous land by opportunists, such as illegal loggers and miners.

Share this page