GTZ & IP_San Jose_final - Dr. Kai Schmidt-Soltau

The cooperation with indigenous people - a
key for effective poverty reduction, good
governance and the conservation of biological
and cultural diversity
GTZ discussion paper
Kai Schmidt-Soltau for GTZ
IAITPTF-Workshop
San José (Costa Rica) 6-10/12/2004
The authors’ view as expressed in this presentation should as a draft not
be attributed to the institutions with which he is associated.
Why does GTZ strive to increase its cooperation with
indigenous people?
Indigenes people are
• significantly poorer (MD, MDG, AP 2015)
• marginalized in the legal and political domain
(human rights approach, Good governance)
• to a greater extent dependent on natural
resources (CBD, BMZ Forest Policy)
• proprietors of traditional knowledge and key
actors of cultural diversity (CCD, CBD)
Do the present strategies of the German cooperation
(based on PRSPs etc.) reach the indigenous people?
No!
„The mainstream instruments do not have the
intended positive impacts on marginalized groups
and have quite often even increased their
economic, social, political and legal
marginalization“ (MD-Evaluation 2004)
How does the international cooperation try to address
these problems?
Social Safeguards (WB, ADB, AfDB, IADB, OECD) to
• assure that programs, which affect IPs are based
on the prior and well informed consent/consultation
• guarantee, that indigenous people benefit equal or
higher from programs;
• identify advert impacts to elaborate strategies to
mitigate them or compensate for them;
• identify in a participatory process comparative
actions
Which policies/strategies have been put in place
by the German Cooperation ?
• BMZ: Policy on cooperation with indigenous
people in Latin America (to be updated in 2005)
• KfW: Stakeholder Analysis as standard
proceeding in project preparation
• GTZ: One Paragraph on social impacts
(Program preparation)
Special support:
• Individual initiatives
• Sector-program GTZ: Indigenous People in Latin
America and the Caribbean
No!
Is that sufficient?
BMZ (2004): „In countries with a significant indigenous
population German funded programs will impact on the
rights and livelihoods of IP and due to that should the
IP be integrated as key actors in the planning and
implementation process of all relevant programs.”
Additional reasons to increase cooperation:
– Increased efficiency (German contribution to international
strategies and policies)
– Accountability
– Quality management
– Request from practitioners

Proposed process
Proposed definition of indigenous people
• Property and user rights (often non-formal) and/or
close attachment to and dependence (social/
economic) on land and natural resources
• self-identification as members of a distinct cultural
group (culture, language, social and political
institutions)
• Marginalization in the legal, social, political and
economic domain
• Question 1:
• It has been suggested that IPs and local
communities should be - following the logic of the
CBD - addressed in one policy? Do you agree or
would you recommend a specific policy for
indigenous people?
Proposed elements of the policy
1. Why does GTZ strive to cooperate with IP even
more than with other populations?
Poverty reduction, good governance, CBD, CCD
2. Who is addressed in this policy?
Definition of indigenous people see above
3. What is the German aim in this cooperation?
Assist IP in getting, defending and using their rights
4. What is the mandate of this policy?
Binding for GTZ and all projects receiving GTZ
support; guideline for German private sector
Proposed elements of the policy
5. What is the guiding principle of this cooperation?
Well and prior informed consent on all interventions,
which might have an impact on IP, their
rights, livelihoods etc.
6. Which methods and instruments will be put in place
to achieve this?
Social Assessment & Indigenous People
Development Plan.
7. Which support/assistance is provided by GTZ?
see proposed areas of assistance
8. How does this cooperation address conflicting
cultural issues?
I don’t know. Any idea??
Proposed elements of the policy
9. How does GTZ address the issues of traditional
knowledge, access and benefit sharing?
I hope to get an idea on this topic during the
conference.
10. How does GTZ guarantee the quality of its
performance?
Publication of all documents, regular fora for
discussion and mutual learning, funds and
capacity building for IP-organizations to
supervise activities.
11. Which structures will be put in place to achieve
accountability?
Inspection panel?
Possible areas of specific assistance
1. Legal advice, lobbying
2. Technical assistance on land tenure issues,
restitution, benefit sharing
3. Land use mapping, demarcation of territories
4. Capacity building in „modern“ natural resource
management/ translation of indigenous practices
and land use knowledge into „modern“ concepts =
management plans, business plans (access and
benefit sharing)
5. Dual education
6. Organizational development at community level

Possible areas of specific assistance
7. Empowerment (representation at „higher“ levels)
8. Capacity building in the establishment of strategic
alliances via IP-organizations etc.
9. Income generating activities and marketing of
products
10. Technical support in decision making processes on
advantages/disadvantages of different development
options (dissimilation/assimilation)
11. Capacity building in intercultural communication for
private and governmental service providers/actors
12. Support in the establishment of fora to discuss with
neighboring populations
Next steps
Stock taking
• Revue experiences of IP-GTZ cooperation in all
continents (formal and informal).
• Obtain best practices and lessons learned from
donors, other agencies and indigenous people.
• Review the legal status of IPs (human rights, land
rights, etc.) in partner countries and evaluate the
cooperation between German supported sectorprograms
and IPs
• Gather information on possible instruments and
methods of cooperation and review their outcomes.
Next steps
Next steps
Development of policy and implementation
guidelines
• Exchange with governments, agencies, donors and
indigenous people
• Obtain feedback from indigenous people
• Presentation on international conference with IPs
• Strive to harmonize and enhance policies and
guidelines according to best practice
Direct actions
• Elaboration of a checklist & documentations for
actors/GTZ staff and consultants, which are
working with indigenous people
• Increase the dialog with indigenous people in all
relevant programs and search for mutual
solutions in situations where IP have been
impacted negatively
• Lobby for adaptation of policy at national level in
Germany and partner countries
• Enhance dialog with indigenous people
We fear, that if we do nothing, we face a
situation like that in the near future …
Thank you for your attention and your
inputs during the discussion
SchmidtSol@aol.com; www.Schmidt-Soltau.de