PART II / CHAPTER 5
BIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY PROTOCOLS AND PROTECTED AREAS
It is also crucial that communities are allowed to decide for
Inclusion of ICCAs in public databases also requires that
themselves whether and how they want their ICCAs to be
some amount of data collected by community members
recognized, whether that may be through self-declaration,
passes into the public domain. For example, the UNEP World
listing in national or international databases or formal
Conservation Monitoring Centre is currently developing a
incorporation into a national system of protected areas.
global registry for ICCAs modeled on the World Database of
Protected Areas but also including data on historical,
BCPs can play an important role in communities’ processes
cultural and governance aspects. An integral part of this
to gain such recognition. By elucidating the bio-cultural
project is to develop procedures for obtaining FPIC of the
values of the communities conserving the ICCAs, their
communities in concern before disclosing information at
governance systems and management practices, and the
various levels.
conditions for access to resources and TK, BCPs can be a
significant part of the interactions between ILCs and
Communities can control the flow of information to the
government institutions. Ideally, they can serve as the basis
outside by selectively revealing TK, achieving FPIC through
of agreements between communities and these institutions
consensual decision-making and regulating interactions with
for the recognition, respect and support of the ICCAs.
outsiders through community research agreements that are
Moreover, the process of discussing and establishing BCPs
periodically reviewed in participator y evaluations.
can help communities halt the loss of the traditional values
BCPs can play a role in this process by recording communities’
and knowledge that have conserved the ICCA over time.
bio-cultural values and asserting their rights under
international or national law to manage and benefit from
Formal recognition of ICCAs, especially when it goes beyond
biodiversity and to protect and use their TK according to
self-declaration by the community, requires some level of
customary law and values.
disclosure of conservation strategies and TK. In Mexico,
for example, certification of voluntary conserved areas by
Beyond being an instrument for public recognition of
the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas requires
ICCAs, the BCP concept can also become an active driver of
that communities fulfill specific obligations such as
certification, joining mechanisms such as community
developing an explicit environmental management program,
forestry enterprises, community territorial planning and
conducting inventories of flora and fauna and carrying out
payment for ecosystem ser vices, all of which are
environmental education programmes for residents
encouraging ILCs predisposed to declaring ICCAs to
and visitors.
take the steps needed for formal recognition.
3. Conclusion
The significant role of the TK of ILCs in conserving biodiversity
resources and knowledge and to safeguard or develop
is enshrined in the provisions of the CBD and is increasingly
their own systems for sharing this knowledge on their
being recognized in protected area policies. However, the
own terms. BCPs provide ILCs with a means to articulate the
customary governance and knowledge systems of ILCs are
bio-cultural foundations of their ways of life and negotiate
still being threatened by a number of factors, including
with other stakeholders on the basis of their customary laws
top-down conservation policies. At the same time, the
and practices. By fostering dialogue between implementing
current advancement of regulations for access and benefit-
agencies and ILCs, BCPs bridge the gap between local people
sharing is creating new roles for actors managing protected
and conservation policies, thus promoting the integrity of
areas as providers of genetic resources and associated TK.
environmental laws and policy by improving the likelihood
Within this framework, it is crucial to develop instruments
that the three goals of the CBD are integrated and
through which ILCs can interact with other actors in and
achieved at the local level.
around their protected areas to assert their rights over
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