The following is the full text of a statement from the National Toshaos Council (NTC) on the matter:

“THE National Toshaos Council (NTC)’s Executive has seen the announcement by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) that they are withdrawing their appeal to the ART Secretariat, which was calling for the suspension of Guyana’s carbon credits.

“Their appeal came after the rejection of their earlier grievance, where they had claimed that Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples were not consulted during the process which led to the issuance of Guyana’s carbon credits for the years 2016 – 2020.

“As elected leaders of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples, the NTC Executive Board welcomes the ending of this appeals process. We reiterate our call to the APA to now work with the NTC and Guyana’s elected indigenous representatives.

“The APA’s voice is always welcome, but it cannot be allowed to replace the voice of communities and villages themselves.
“Village and community members should be supported in expressing their views through village meetings and elected village leaders chosen by villagers and community members themselves. That is why it is important to reiterate that:

• The APA’s initial attempt to achieve the suspension of carbon credits was carried out in secret, without the knowledge of any villages or communities in Guyana. This contradicted the call from Guyana’s indigenous leaders for our Indigenous Peoples to be consulted on matters which impact on us; principles universally recognised as Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles. We have the right to be involved in discussions which affect us.

• Once the attempt to have credits suspended was discovered via the media, not a single village or community in Guyana supported the APA’s grievance to the ART-TREES Secretariat.

• Over the previous years, indigenous leaders from across the country had chosen to participate in the consultation on Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 and carbon credits. This is unlike the APA, who had been invited to help lead the consultation, as a member of the LCDS 2030 Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee, but chose not to do so.

• Elected indigenous leaders determined ways to ensure a fair and practical benefits-sharing mechanism for villages to participate in the carbon credit scheme underpinned by the issuance of ART-TREES credits. We have always made it clear that villages and communities lead in undertaking the responsibility to express willingness to participate in this programme, and that no rights are taken away for any villages and communities that make this choice.

• Every single village and community in Guyana – that is 242 villages and communities – met to determine their own priorities in village meetings. All have expressed, in writing, a willingness to participate, through votes of village and community members.

• As a result, this year, G$4.75 billion was transferred to village and community bank accounts, with onward investment in over 500 projects identified in village plans put together (and voted on) by village and community members.

• A further G$26 billion is being invested in projects identified in the LCDS 2030, and that benefit multiple communities right across the county, mainly on infrastructure to help adapt to climate change such as defence against flooding.

“The APA sought to prevent the issuance of carbon credits and the flow of the money for these development opportunities as well as others in the years ahead. They are free to do this, without explaining why.

“But they should not claim to represent Indigenous Peoples in Guyana when they take actions such as these in secret. Similarly, they should be transparent about receiving funding from the deep pockets of foreign organisations to hold elite events in New York, Montreal and elsewhere, and be honest about the fact that elected indigenous leaders from Guyana have been excluded from these events by the organisers.

“There is now an opportunity for the APA to put these divisive tactics in the past, and to join to support Indigenous Peoples across Guyana. We hope the APA will now join with the elected representatives of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples to move beyond division and towards collaboration.”