Which concept best explains the comparison made in the passage regarding internet responses

Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced. The land and natural resources on which they depend are inextricably linked to their identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being. They often subscribe to their customary leaders and organizations for representation that are distinct or separate from those of the mainstream society or culture. Many Indigenous Peoples still maintain a language distinct from the official language or languages of the country or region in which they reside; however, many have also lost their languages or on the precipice of extinction due to eviction from their lands and/or relocation to other territories, and in. They speak more than 4,000 of the world's languages, though some estimates indicate that more than half of the world's languages are at risk of becoming extinct by 2100.

There are  an estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Although they make up just 6 percent of the global population, they account for about 19 percent of the extreme poor. Indigenous Peoples’ life expectancy is up to 20 years lower than the life expectancy of non-indigenous people worldwide. Indigenous Peoples often lack formal recognition over their lands, territories and natural resources, are often last to receive public investments in basic services and infrastructure and face multiple barriers to participate fully in the formal economy, enjoy access to justice, and participate in political processes and decision making. This legacy of inequality and exclusion has made Indigenous peoples more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards, including to disease outbreaks such as COVID-19.  Vulnerabilities to the pandemic are exacerbated in some cases by the lack of access to national health, water, and sanitation systems, the shutting down of markets, and mobility restrictions that have greatly impacted their livelihoods, food insecurity, and well-being.

While Indigenous Peoples own, occupy, or use a quarter of the world’s surface area, they safeguard 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity. They hold vital ancestral knowledge and expertise on how to adapt, mitigate, and reduce climate and disaster risks. 

Much of the land occupied by Indigenous Peoples is under customary ownership, yet many governments recognize only a fraction of this land as formally or legally belonging to Indigenous Peoples. Even when Indigenous territories and lands are recognized, protection of boundaries or use and exploitation of natural resources are often inadequate. Insecure land tenure is a driver of conflict, environmental degradation, and weak economic and social development. This threatens cultural survival and vital knowledge systems – loss in these areas increasing risks of fragility, biodiversity loss, and degraded One Health (or ecological and animal health) systems which threaten the ecosystem services upon which we all depend.

Improving security of land tenure, strengthening governance, promoting public investments in quality and culturally appropriate service provision, and supporting Indigenous systems for resilience and livelihoods are critical to reducing the multidimensional aspects of poverty while contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The World Bank works with Indigenous Peoples and governments to ensure that broader development programs reflect the voices and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples.

Over the last 20 years, Indigenous Peoples’ rights have been increasingly recognized through the adoption of international instruments such as the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) in 2021, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2016, and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention from 1991. At the same time, global institutional mechanisms have been created to promote Indigenous peoples rights such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNSR).

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2022

The World Bank has established a network of Regional Indigenous Peoples Focal Points who work together with a Global Coordinator for Indigenous Peoples. This network of professionals works to enhance the visibility and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the Bank’s analytical work, Systematic Country Diagnostics (SCDs), Country Partnership Frameworks, national policy dialogues, and public investment lending and trust funds.

The Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), the World Bank’s framework that supports borrowers to better manage project risks as well as improve environmental and social performance, contains a standard on Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities (ESS7). This standard contributes to poverty reduction and sustainable development by ensuring that projects supported by the Bank enhance opportunities for Indigenous Peoples to participate in, and benefit from, the investments financed by the Bank in ways that respect their collective rights, promote their aspirations, and do not threaten or impact their unique cultural identities and ways of life. Currently, ESS7 is being applied in approximately 33 percent of the Bank’s investment lending.

The World Bank is engaging with Indigenous Peoples’ organizations to better understand and build upon traditional knowledge for climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions. Through direct grants to indigenous organizations and inclusion in national programs, the Bank is also working to promote the recognition and strengthening of Indigenous Peoples’ significant contributions as stewards of the world’s forests and biodiversity.

This is particularly relevant to the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus (REDD+) agenda, where – given their close relationships with and dependence on forested lands and resources – Indigenous Peoples are key stakeholders. Specific initiatives in this sphere include: a Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities under the Forest Investment Program (FIP) in multiple countries; a capacity building program oriented partly toward Forest-Dependent Indigenous Peoples by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF); support for enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples in benefit sharing of carbon emission reduction programs through the Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Emissions - EnABLE Fund; and analytical, strategic planning, and operational activities in the context of the FCPF and the BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL). Indigenous Peoples are also observers to the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2022

Increased engagement and dialogue and awareness of Indigenous Peoples’ rights have yielded results at the global, regional, country, and community levels. Examples include:

Regional and country dialogue and lending with Indigenous Peoples

• In Kenya, the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program is supporting partnerships between governments and communities to assess climate risks and identify socially inclusive solutions that are tailored to local needs and priorities. Indigenous peoples or traditionally marginalized groups represent a significant proportion of beneficiaries.

• In Ecuador, the Bank approved a loan for $40 million to support territorial development priorities for Indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian, and Montubian peoples and nationalities in the areas of economic development, governance, and COVID-19 response. This project was designed and will be implemented by the Government of Ecuador in partnership with Indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian and Montubian organizations at both national and territorial levels. This project includes $2 million for investments to purchase supplies and provide technical assistance for traditional healers and community health workers in their front-line role to prevent the spread and attend to COVID-19 patients.

• In Panama, in 2018, the Bank approved the first loan in more than 20 years for $80 million to support what Indigenous Peoples have put forward as their vision for development through the National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan. Jointly developed by Indigenous Peoples, the government and World Bank, this project aims to strengthen governance and coordination for Indigenous Peoples to partner as drivers in their own development, while supporting improvements in access, quality, and cultural pertinence of basic service delivery, in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples’ vision and development priorities. 

• In Laos, the Poverty Reduction Fund Project (PRF) III was established as one of the Government of Lao PDR's main vehicles to decrease rural poverty and deliver infrastructure services in rural areas. Under the two preceding World Bank-supported projects, the PRF has improved access to infrastructure for well over a million-rural people through implementing more than 4,700 subprojects. The PRF II (2011-2016) alone improved access to infrastructure for more than 567,000 rural people, financing 1,400 subprojects identified by the rural poor themselves. About 50% of the direct beneficiaries are women, and ethnic minorities account for about 70% of project beneficiaries.

• In Cambodia, the Voice and Action: Social Accountability for Improved Service Delivery project facilitated and supported the social inclusion of ethnic minorities, women, and other vulnerable and marginalized communities in effective access to service delivery. Ethnic minorities were hired by local government as community accountability facilitators and improved the quality of service provision in six different indigenous languages (Khmer-Lao, Kreung, Kuoy, Proav, Mill, and Kraol) through mobile loudspeaker and radio broadcasts.

• As part of its 2018 - 2022 Country Partnership Framework with Vietnam, the World Bank is broadening economic participation of ethnic minorities, women, and vulnerable groups through a multi-sectoral engagement with a particular focus on livelihood- and-income generating activities that benefit ethnic minorities.

• In Nepal, the Bank has launched an Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Consultative Forum- a round-table platform for knowledge exchange and dialogue to enhance the Bank’s engagement with Indigenous peoples and/or local communities across the portfolio in Nepal, with a particular focus on forestry. The first Forum meeting was held on March 14th, 2022 and will continue on a quarterly basis.

• In Central Africa, the Bank is working with REPALEAC, the Central African Network of Indigenous and Local Communities for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems, to strengthen capacity through a multi-stakeholder dialogue with government entities, donors, and NGOs. In a series of capacity-building initiatives, REPALEAC has increased their organizational capacity and produced a Strategic Framework that defines their needs and produced targets and indicators (including gender inclusive goals and targets) to achieve both at the national and sub-regional level, improved land governance, natural resource management, sustainable livelihoods, cultural and climate resilience, and the realization of their rights.

• In Latin America and the Caribbean, since 2013, the World Bank has been sustaining an ongoing dialogue and strategic work with the Abya Yala Indigenous Forum (FIAY) for its Spanish acronym) to enhance mutual understanding between the Bank and indigenous organizations, enhance the application of ESS7, and build Indigenous Peoples inclusion and voice in the policy dialogue and investments financed by the Bank in the Region.

• In 2020 the World Bank approved Development Policy Operations (DPOs) in Guatemala and Panama that included policy reforms in areas prioritized by Indigenous Peoples. These include: the approval of the Action Plan to Implement the National Midwives Policy in Guatemala and the approval a legal framework to promote Indigenous Peoples development in Panama, both of which have been subsequently approved by the national authorities in these countries.

• Approximately 33 percent of the Bank’s investment portfolio applies ESS7 and in so doing, are working to include Indigenous Peoples, in ways that are culturally appropriate, to benefit in results in education, health, social protection, economic development, land titling, and many other sectors.

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

Since its launch in 2007, broad stakeholder engagement has been at the heart of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)’s REDD+ support to countries. Civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and other forest-dependent communities play a central role in REDD+ readiness and implementation and have gained more access to forest and land-use planning through active participation and engagement at each stage of the REDD+ readiness process.

• In Nepal, under the Asia-Pacific FCPF Capacity Building Project on REDD+ (for Indigenous Peoples) Phase 3, two (2) subgrant agreements have been signed to be funded. The two organizations in Nepal to carry out capacity building on REDD+ are: Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) and Himalayan Grassroots Women’s Natural Resource Management Association (HIMAWANTI, Nepal). NEFIN's sub-project aims to support rights and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in Nepal's ERP implementation across 13 districts. HIMAWANTI sub-project is titled "Enhancing Sustainable Forest Management & Biodiversity Preservation for Prosperous Living Culture of Chepang Communities in Nepal by increasing their engagement in REDD+ mechanism and decision-making process through capacity building trainings and workshops."

• Also in Nepal, the Bank has launched a new initiative under the Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Emissions (EnABLE) to improve participation and social inclusion of IPLCS in the implementation of the Emissions Reduction Program (ERP) and Benefit Sharing Plan (BSP). The main objectives of EnABLE Phase 1 is to improve coordination among forestry activities, to co-design a communication strategy to support IPLC engagement in the finalization of Nepal BSP, and to develop EnABLE Phase 2 Implementation program that builds on the existing initiatives.
• Between July 2017 and June 2018, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) engaged tens of thousands of Indigenous Peoples in the design and implementation of Emission Reductions programs. For example, in Honduras, the FCPF provided support for the country’s first workshop on the interpretation of cultural safeguards on REDD+ readiness and implementation, which saw the participation of more than 2,000 stakeholders, including 66 people representing the Tolupan, Garífuna, and Maya Chorti peoples.

• In Vietnam, as part of the Gender Pillar of the Australia/World Bank Trust Fund, the FCPF funded an Ethnic Minority civil society organization to implement a capacity building program aimed at empowering ethnic minority women and youth in indigenous products value chain. A cooperative has been established, 150 people have been trained on animal disease/epidemic and technique of husbandry, and over 420 people have benefited from capacity building engagement. In addition, Indigenous Production Groups were developed within 77 households in Mat Thanh and Son Thuy.

• Ethnic minority organizations in Vietnam benefited from FCPF Capacity Building program and piloted the benefit sharing mechanism in Vietnam’s Emission Reductions program, these pilots were conducted in selected EPD provinces in North central Vietnam where the majority population of EM lives. They successfully created forest management councils with EM representation to implement the non-carbon benefits of the ERPD. Furthermore, they are also engaged in monitoring of deforestation using technology that report the rates of deforestation every 15days, this information has been linked to the government monitory information system for REDD+.

• In 2016-2017, Chile validated its 2017–2025 National Strategy on Climate Change and Vegetation Resources, which includes the active participation of Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations, and women. As part of this stakeholder engagement, 1,813 individuals participated in the Indigenous Dialogue and Consultation Process, while 1,266 participated in SESA workshops, 37 percent of them women and 9 percent Indigenous Peoples.

• In the context of Kenya’s devolution process, FCPF supported a workshop to inform the content and methodology for a study on devolution and marginalization to demonstrate the realities of minority and marginalized users of devolved service delivery. The participants also expressed interest in structuring a more proactive dialogue between communities and county governments for which they requested the Bank’s support.

The Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) aims to empower Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) to develop and implement projects of their choice, under their financial and operational control. The Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM), financed under the Forest Investment Program (FIP), has mobilized $80m for Recipient Executed Trust Funds (RETFs) designed and led directly by Indigenous Peoples and Local communities (IPLCs- a term adopted for REDD+ for IPs and other forest dependent communities) in 12 countries. The DGM was approved in 2010, and its first grants started implementation in 2015. The DGM finances sustainable IPLC forest-use practices, promotes their sharing and elevation to the global policy arena, and fosters IPLC capacity to engage in and contribute to local, national, and international REDD+ dialogue and actions. The DGM is the largest global REDD+ initiative created solely for and by IPLCs. Two new DGMs were approved in 2021 for Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), each for US$4.5 million. This model of mobilizing funds directly to IPLCs is yielding important outcomes, including:

• Supporting IPLCs land recognition and titling processes in DRC, Indonesia, and Peru. These DGMs have been putting technical and financial resources directly in the hands of IPLCs to work with government authorities to overcome historic under-recognition and exclusion from land titling services. With these investments the DGMs are contributing to the protection and recognition of IPLC rights to occupy, enjoy and protect the forests and natural resources within their ancestral spaces that are under continual threats for concessions and invasions.  With the issuing of titles IPLCs gain greater security to build their economic base and protect the forests. In Peru, the DGM achieved the formal recognition of 208 native communities in the Public Registry in March 2019, thanks to the work led by the two national Amazonian indigenous organizations and supported by WWF Peru. The project has also supported the fieldwork and administrative process for 88 communities to process formal claims to the government to title their ancestral land, achieving the issuance of formal land titles for 14 communities as of March 2019. In addition, the project has benefited 56 native communities with technical and financial support for 40 forestry subprojects, 10 of which are run by women.

• In a 2018 Learning Review, all respondents in DGM Brazil felt that the DGM was protecting their basic political rights at a time when concerns are being raised.

• The Indigenous Peoples of DRC have expressed high enthusiasm for the DGM, which allowed them for the first time to meet with the highest authorities of the country. The recognition of the strong indigenous knowledge in natural resource management inspired a sense of ownership and trust in the implementation of 45 micro-projects in more than 65 villages. This approach helped deter corruption as financial management was mandated to be handled by the communities, with grievance mechanisms tying directly to the World Bank.

• In Nepal, the DGM is under preparation and the National Executing Agency chosen by the IPLCs through their National Steering Committee, i.e.,  Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), has initiated provincial-level training with the  objective  to inform the stakeholders about the DGM project, its components (esp. small grants for local economic activities), and raise awareness about various forestry operations in their districts. These events were implemented in both the Lumbini and Madhesh provinces and attended by a range of stakeholders, including members from regional chapters of NEFIN (IP organization), FECOFUN (LC organization), Community Forest User Groups, among others.

For information related to the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework, see here.

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2022