BIC advocates for the rights and leadership of Indigenous Peoples, afrodescendants, and traditional communities affected by MDB-financed projects. We work to advance respect for their free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and to push MDBs to deepen their engagement with these communities as partners in the design and implementation of projects and programs.
BIC calls in MDBs to promote effective participation of Indigenous and local communities in project design, implementation, and monitoring while also addressing retaliation and criminalization risks faced by environmental defenders. MDBs should also recognize and protect the land and territorial rights of these communities, a key factor in forest and biodiversity conservation, and promote effective management practices of conserved and protected areas and Indigenous Peoples’ lands that contribute to climate resilience and ecosystem restoration
of the Earth’s land surface is stewarded or occupied by Indigenous Peoples, who play a vital role in protecting ecosystems and biodiversity
Lower deforestation rates where Indigenous and community land rights are legally recognized, comparable areas without secure tenure
every two days for protecting land and natural resources (Global Witness)
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