CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

The following is a reproduction of the letter of Tebtebba Foundation’s Joji Carino to Achim Steiner, IUCN’s Director General, on the IUCN-ICMM partnership.

4 September 2002

Mr. Achim Steiner

Director General

World Conservation union

Re: IUCN-ICMM Partnership on Mining and Biodiversity

IUCN’s announcement of its partnership with ICMM on Mining and Biodiversity has come as an unwelcome surprise for indigenous peoples this week at the WSSD. As you may know, the whole issue of mining and sustainable development has been a very controversial issue, similar to that of large dams and their disproportionate impacts on indigenous communities.

On behalf of the Indigenous Peoples s Caucus at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, I am forwarding a copy of the public statement issued by the Caucus on the subject of IUCN’s partnership with the ICMM.

We feel that this partnership has put into question the commitment of IUCN to the rights of indigenous peoples in every aspect of its work. For many years, indigenous peoples’ organizations have worked hard to make IUCN responsive to our rights and perspectives on the critical issues of protected areas, biodiversity conservation and indigenous peoples rights. This hard work has borne fruit in the recent policies of IUCN on this theme.

It would seem that on the matter of corporate accountability, indigenous peoples rights and biodiversity, there remains a big gap to be bridged in terms of IUCN’s position and that of indigenous peoples, mine affected communities, and broader civil; society.

I look forward to your response on this matter. Please contact Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network, ien@igc.org, Victoria Tauli Corpuz, Tebtebba Foundation, vco@skyinet.net and myself, Joji Carino, Tebtebba Foundation, tongtong@gn.apc.org

Thank you very much for your attention,

Yours sincerely,

SGD: Joji Carino

Tebtebba Foundation in behalf of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus (WSSD)