Amazon Alliance proposal for a consultation process for the IDB Indigenous Peoples Policy

14 April 2004

[disponible en español]

Amazon Alliance with Indigenous Peoples
1367 Connecticut Ave NW,
Ste 400
Washington, DC 20036

March 24, 2004

Mr. Enrique Iglesias
Inter-American Development Bank
Washington, DC

Re: Proposal for Consultation

Dear President Iglesias:

We are very pleased that you will soon begin consultations regarding the indigenous peoples’ policy profile and strategic framework. As indigenous leaders of the Americas we congratulate you for initiating policy consultations rather than limiting the discussion to a strategic framework as originally planned. We wish you every success in this important endeavor. We would like to state at the outset, however, that the consultation plan should be developed in agreement with representative indigenous peoples. In that spirit, please accept the attached proposal for the consultation process.

Based on careful analysis of past consultations and of the methodology you have proposed we suggest an alternative methodology. Although it might take longer than you originally proposed, we believe that if you carefully plan this process from the beginning with indigenous participation at all stages you will obtain the best results. We estimate fifteen months minimum for the entire process.

We propose a process with clearly defined stages, instead of the rolling process you described. We suggest a long dissemination stage; country and regional consultation workshops, advisory committee meetings, and a final round of revisions. We believe that international meetings convened for other purposes are not ideal for these consultations, but they are excellent distribution points.

Regarding the indigenous advisory committee, which we understand to be a joint drafting committee, we suggest that at least half of the members be self-selected by indigenous participants from the consultation workshops. We propose that the members be selected by region (eg: Central America, Andes, Amazon, Southern Cone, and Caribbean). Please note that it is particularly important that the drafting committee send the final draft policy to the public for one final round of comments before it goes to the board, because this is the opportunity for participants to guarantee that their input is adequately contemplated in the final document.

In addition, we ask for a formal launch of the process that will demonstrate your partnership with indigenous representatives in this process, and that demonstrates the support of the office of the President of the IDB for this vital endeavor.

We look forward to hearing from you soon regarding your consultation plans. Please respond to Johnson Cerda at the Amazon Alliance Office in Washington, DC ().

Sincerely:

Johnson Cerda, Co-Director, Alianza Amazonica

Lourdes Tibán Gualinga, CONAIE- Ecuador

Hector Huertas, CEALP, Panama

José Carlos Morales, Asociación ARADIKES, Costa Rica

Gesinaldo Barbosa
Coordinador General de COIAB – Brazil
Miembro de COICA

Nicia Maldonando
Presidenta Consejo Indio de Venezuela- CONIVE
Miembro de COICA

Julio Cesar Estrada
Presidente de OPIAC
Miembro de COICA

Antonio Iviche
Presidente de AIDESEP
Miembro de COICA

Alejandro Chipana Yahuita, Experto Indigena de Bolivia

Paulo Celso de Oliveira - Pankararu
Advogado indígena - Brasil

Angel Amilcar Colon
Organizacion Fraternal Negra Hondureña, OFRANEH
Coordinador General

Magdalena Perez, Coordinadora General
Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Indigenas y Negras de Honduras, CONAMINH

Nathan Pravia, Presidente
Confederacion de Pueblos Autoctonos de Honduras, CONPAH

Rebecca Sommer
UN Representative for the Society for Threatened Peoples International -
in consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC)

Proposal for the IDB Indigenous Peoples’ Policy Consultation Phase I: Distribution At each meeting present the profiles, present explanatory background materials, and explain consultation plans, including a schedule of workshops in each country. Other dissemination: Electronic and regular mail. Background information: The profiles must be accompanied by appropriate explanatory materials. Schedule should include (but not be limited to): April 25-39: OAS IP Caucus May 10-23: UNPFII, June: COICA Consejo Directivo meeting (Note it is not a general assembly) July 19- 25: UN WGIP Phase II: Consultation workshops in each country (August, September, October, November) Phase III: External Advisory Panel (drafting committee) meets to incorporate comments. (January 2005) Phase IV: Revised draft policy distributed for public comments for ninety day period (February, March, April 2005) Phase V. Advisory Panel meets again for final revisions. (May 2005) Phase VI. Proposed Policy goes to board for approval (June 2005)