–calls on it to take action to combat illegal activities

THE Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has commended the Government of Guyana’s commitment to protecting the Amazon by joining neighbouring states in signing the Leticia Amazon Pact.

“We recognise this Pact, signed on September 6, 2019, in Leticia, Colombia, as one aimed at sharing resources and taking greater steps towards protecting the world’s largest tropical rainforest in the wake of recent wildfires that ravaged it and displaced countless Indigenous peoples who call the Amazon home,” APA Communications and Visibility Officer Mariah Lall stated in a press release.

Having said that, she called upon the government and all Guyanese to move beyond the limited measures specified in the Pact and take concrete actions to ensure the protection of the forests.

“We emphasise that despite acknowledging the Amazon is home to 34 million people, including Indigenous and tribal peoples, and declaring its commitment to building and strengthening the capacities of Indigenous Peoples, the Pact fails to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to the conservation of the world’s forests or biodiversity,” Lall said.

She said this is so in spite of the numerous studies concluding that Indigenous Peoples do a better job at managing their natural resources than other actors.

Noting that the ‘Pact’ does not commit to the protection of Indigenous rights, especially land rights and their right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), nor does it speak to the effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making, Lall said that recognising this and respecting Indigenous Peoples’ land and participatory rights, as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, would be a first step towards achieving the goals of the pact in protecting the Amazon region.

“We further urge our leaders to remember that beyond the pact, there is existing legislative and policy framework relevant to environmental protection and Indigenous land rights. Though the pact focuses on addressing illegal activities that play a role in deforestation and forest degradation, the recent wildfires were largely linked to legally sanctioned activities, including agricultural activities,” she stated.

She said that by signing the Pact, the government has committed to establishing regional cooperation and information exchange to combat illegal activities, notably extractive activities, which threaten the conservation of the Amazon.

However, she stated that there are actions the government can take to combat illegal activities on its own as well. This would include the government taking a second look at how mining is carried out in Guyana and whether it supports the goals of the pact.

“We strongly contend that combating illegal activities begins with the prompt investigation of complaints. We recall that in case of Mamai Lucille Williams, an elderly Indigenous woman from Karisaparu, Region Eight, whose home and farm were bulldozed by miners, the GGMC neglected to even investigate the situation for more than a year. While several reports were made to various authorities, including ministers of government, requesting an intervention, it was only recently that the GGMC and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs intervened, resulting in the agreement of compensation for Mamai,” the APA stated.

Noting that such is just one example that reflects the need for prompt and urgent action by the government, the communications officer said government should not rely solely on finances but rather on goodwill.

This would include but not be limited to the effective enforcement of existing laws and policies and development of new regulations that would support that which has been agreed to in the pact.