Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences with Just Transitions

DAY 3
22 March
12:15-13:15
GMT+5:45

SIDE SESSION

Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences with Just Transitions

Background

With the pressing challenges caused by the global climate crisis, transition to clean and green energy is a must. However, reports show that such a transition has not been just so far. Indigenous territories host large renewable energy projects (such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower projects) that are usually carried out without respect for the rights of the concerned Indigenous Peoples to their lands and resources and meaningful consultations with them to obtain their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). These projects result in conflicts with and displacement of Indigenous communities and the destruction of their livelihoods and the environment violating the rights of the communities, including to self-determination. Many such projects, particularly mega hydropower dams and big solar farms are reported in Bangladesh, Nepal, and North East India. The impacts of large-scale renewable energy projects on the rights of Indigenous Peoples are complex and multifaceted, among them are:

Land Rights: Indigenous Peoples often have deep cultural and spiritual connections to their traditional lands, which are threatened by the development of large-scale renewable energy projects. Such projects require displacement of indigenous communities or the expropriation of their lands, including disruption of cultural practices and ways of life of the communities.
Environmental Damage: Large renewable energy projects can have significant environmental impacts, such as altering river flows or causing deforestation. Indigenous Peoples who rely on natural resources for their livelihoods and cultural practices are particularly affected by these impacts, potentially leading to eventual displacement.
Economic Impacts: While large renewable energy projects can create jobs and generate revenue, those benefits do not always accrue to indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples are excluded from the planning and development of these projects and do not benefit from the economic opportunities they provide, potentially even leading to their further impoverishment.

It is important for decision-makers and developers to take into account the perspectives and needs of indigenous communities in the planning and implementation of those energy projects to ensure that the project impacts are addressed effectively. That should involve engaging in meaningful consultation with the affected communities to obtain their FPIC, respecting their land rights and other human rights, and ensuring that they are able to participate in the economic benefits of these projects. The transition cannot be clean and green if it inflicts injustice in the supply chain process. The clean energy transition needs to be clean, green, and just so that no one is left behind.

About the Side Session

In the context above, this side event seeks to present Indigenous Peoples’ experiences from the ground affected by hydropower and other projects touted as “clean” and “green” energy projects. The Indigenous Peoples’ representatives will share their perspectives and aspirations with such projects to explain what transitions should look like.

The side event will involve the following Indigenous Peoples’ representatives:

Tej Bahadur Thapa, Secretary, Tanahu Hydropower Project affected committee, Nepal
India
Bangladesh

The side event will be undertaken in the format of a moderated panel discussion with the Indigenous Peoples’ representatives first sharing their experiences on the ground with the projects. They will also share how their communities are carrying out their struggles at national and international levels to assert their rights. They will then present their recommendations for their aspirations on just transitions. Participants will also be allowed to ask questions to the panelists towards the end of the side event in an open discussion.

Organizing Partners

Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous Peoples Rights International
Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE)
Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)
Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre

Speakers

Falguni Tripura

Falguni is working for a Dhaka-based national indigenous organization, Kapaeeng Foundation, as its women program coordinator. She is also coordinating the Bangladesh Indigenous Women’s Network (BIWN) and doing advocacy work on multilingual education of and rights of indigenous children. As coordinator of BIWN, she is engaged with advocacy campaigns at national and international levels, including ensuring cases of human rights violations against Indigenous women are brought to the attention of relevant human rights mechanisms. She has been working for the rights of indigenous women and girls in Bangladesh for more than 12 years.

Shankar Limbu

Shankar Limbu is a human rights lawyer who has been consistently working to protect, promote and defend Indigenous Peoples and local communities since 2000 on a pro bono basis. He is affiliated with the Lawyers' Association Human Rights for Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP), Kathmandu-based indigenous organization that provides free legal service against cases of collective human rights violations. He has been involved in several court cases and the Supreme Court of Nepal that made land-mark decisions linked to direct and meaningful representation, protection against mass-forced eviction, protection of property rights, right to housing, cultural autonomy etc. He has also been involved in bringing complaints to Independent Accountability Mechanisms on behalf of affected communities against aggressive development funded by international financial institutions to protect the right to lands, cultures, identity, suppression etc. He has also launched submissions and complaints in international human rights institutions on non-compliance of the several instruments such as ICCPR, ICESRC, CERD, ILO C.169 and UNDRIP.

Prabindra Shakya

Prabindra Shakya is a human rights activist from indigenous Newar community of Nepal. He has been engaged in promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and marginalized communities for over a decade now, whereby he specializes in human rights advocacy in the contexts of impacts of development finance, business operations and international investments. He has extensive working experience at regional and international levels as a Consultant with the Secretariat of UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, the Human Rights Programme Coordinator and Advisor with the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) in Thailand, a Steering Committee member and Asia regional representative of the Coalition of Human Rights in Development and Senior Adviser with the Manushya Foundation, among others. He currently leads the Community Empowerment & Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) in Nepal that he founded and has previously worked with different human rights organizations in the country. He is also the Convenor of Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE).

Pichamon Yeophantong

Pichamon Yeophantong serves as the Vice-Chairperson and Member from Asia-Pacific States on the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. She is also Associate Professor and Head of Research at the Centre for Future Defence and National Security, Deakin University. As a political scientist, Pichamon teaches and publishes field-based research on business and human rights, and the political economy of sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific.

DAY 3 22 March 12:15-13:15 GMT+5:45

SIDE SESSION

Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences with Just Transitions

Background

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About the Side Session

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Organizing Partners

Speakers

CONTACT

DAY 3
22 March
12:15-13:15
GMT+5:45