Statements & Agreements
With reference to Indigenous Knowledge

Excerpts from "Traditional Knowledge - a Report prepared for the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat" by Philip Burgess, 1999

Arctic Indigenous Women’s Network, Statement made at Manndalen, June 1997.
The active participation of indigenous peoples in the development of their communities in the Arctic is still restricted by historical, economic, and social factors.

  • Indigenous peoples must play a central part in shaping the Arctic communities at all levels.
  • Indigenous women shall be involved as equal partners in consultation and decision making.
  • The traditional knowledge and experience concerning how to live off and by nature in the Arctic must be appreciated and developed so that present and future generations may have a decent life.

Brundtland Commission / World Commission on Environment and Development (1984-1987) 
UNCED, Agenda 21, Chapter 26 - Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June, 1992. Chapter 26 of Agenda 21, Recognizing and Strengthening the Role of Indigenous Peoples and their Communities.

26.1 Indigenous Peoples and their communities have a historic relationship with their lands and are generally descendants of the original inhabitants of such lands. In the context of this chapter ‘lands’ is understood to include the environment of the areas which the people concerned traditionally occupy. Indigenous Peoples and their communities represent a significant percentage of the global population. They have developed over many generations a holistic traditional scientific knowledge of their lands, natural resources and environment. Indigenous Peoples and their communities shall enjoy the full measure of human rights and fundamental freedoms without hindrance or discrimination. Their ability to participate fully in sustainable development practices on their lands has tended to be limited as a result of factors of an economic, social and historical nature. In view of the interrelationship between the natural environment and its sustainable development and cultural, social, economic and physical wellbeing of indigenous Peoples, national and international efforts to implement environmentally sound and sustainable development should recognise, accommodate, promote, and strengthen the role of Indigenous Peoples and their communities.

26.5 United Nations organisations and other international development and finance organisations and Governments should, drawing on the active participation of indigenous peoples and their communities, as appropriate, take the following measures, inter alia, to incorporate their values, views and knowledge, including the unique contribution of indigenous women, in resource management and other policies and programs that may affect them.

Principle 22 of the Rio Declaration 
Indigenous peoples and their communities..have a vital role in environmental management and development because of their knowledge and traditional practices. States should recognise and duly support their identity, culture and interests and enable their effective participation in the achievement of sustainable development

Convention on Biological Diversity
Preamble
Recognizing the close and traditional dependence of many indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles on biological resources, and the desirability of sharing equitably benefits arising form the use of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices relevant to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.

Article 8 j
Subject to its national legislation, respect. preserve and maintain knowledge, innovation and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices.
 
Article 17.2
Such exchange of information (relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity) shall include exchange of results of technical, scientific and socio-economic research, as well as information on training and surveying programs, specialised knowledge, indigenous and traditional knowledge as such and in combination with the technologies referred to in Article 16, paragraph 1. It shall also, where feasible, include the repatriation of information.

UNESCO. Our Creative Diversity. Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development
Through centuries of living close to nature, indigenous peoples throughout the world have acquired detailed knowledge of their environmental and its natural resources. Living in and from the rich variety of complex ecosystems, they understand the functionings of these systems, the properties of plants and animals and the techniques for using the systems. UNESCO 1995: 211

The recognition of indigenous knowledge calls for special regulations dealing with the appropriation of such knowledge. The Convention on Biodiversity encourages the equitable sharing of benefits arising from local knowledge (Article 8 of the Convention), but does not guarantee it. UNESCO 1995: 213.

United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development - Gender Working Group (UNCSTD-GWG 1995) 
Modern science and technology has inadequately addressed the potential of local knowledge systems, especially women’s knowledge, in the design and implementation of development programs. There is a need to develop new methods of interaction between the two systems for their mutual benefit.

WWF-International: Indigenous Peoples and Conservation: WWF Statement of Principles, 1996. 
*6 WWF appreciates the enormous contributions indigenous peoples have made to the maintenance of many of the earth’s most fragile ecosystems. It recognises the importance of indigenous resource rights and knowledge for the conservation of these areas in the future.

*15 WWF respects the rights of indigenous peoples to enjoy an equitable share in any economic or other benefits realised from their intellectual property and traditional knowledge, building on the provisions of the Convention of Biological Diversity.

*28 With respect to the existing knowledge of indigenous communities, prior to starting work in a particular area, WWF will establish agreements with the indigenous organizations representing local communities, to ensure that they are able to fully participate in decisions about the use of knowledge acquired in or about the area they inhabit, and equitably benefit from it. These agreements will explicitly determine the ways and conditions under which WWF will be allowed to use such knowledge.

Declaration on Environment and Development in the Arctic, Nuuk, September 16, 1993
7. We recognise the special role of the indigenous peoples in environmental management and development in the Arctic, and of the significance of their knowledge and traditional practices, and will promote their effective participation in the achievement of sustainable development in the Arctic.

Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council, Ottawa 19 September 1996.
Recognizing the traditional knowledge of the indigenous people of the Arctic and their communities and taking note of its importance and that of Arctic science and research to the collective understanding of the circumpolar Arctic.

Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment in the Arctic
In the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, traditional knowledge should be used for understanding the possible consequences of the predicted impacts and for reducing uncertainties.

How is traditional knowledge to be used in the EIA process? The use of traditional knowledge in an Arctic EIA requires careful planning. All parties have to know how and on what basis traditional knowledge is to be used, and how it is to be evaluated. The holders of traditional knowledge must be given respect by the scientists researching traditional values. Once a liaison with those who possess traditional knowledge has been established, it should be sustained through continuous mutual consultations.

Because traditional knowledge is the intellectual property of the people who hold it, it is essential to agree with those people on the rules for the use of traditional knowledge. Adequate compensation is to be provided for this information, based on terms and conditions agreed on all parties involved. Researchers are to abide by the ethical research guidelines set out by the respective communities.

The Nordic Council’s International Conference for Parliamentarians on Development and Protection of the Arctic region. Reykjavik, Iceland, 17 August 1993
therefore recommend

  • continued support for international scientific co-operation, e.g. cooperation which is coordinated by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and its knowledge
  • gathering activities including the traditional knowledge of the Arctic region and its peoples

Second Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region. Yellowknife, NWT, Canada. 12-14 March, 1996. Conference Statement.
Recognizing

  • the essential contribution that the accumulated knowledge of indigenous peoples can make in addressing the present and future problems of the Arctic regions and in implementing solutions.

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (Canada): Ethical Guidelines for Research Principles
Knowledge that is transmitted orally in the cultures off Aboriginal peoples must be acknowledged as a valuable research resource along with documentary and other sources. The means of validating local knowledge in the particular traditions under study should normally be applied to establish authenticity of orally transmitted knowledge.

Association of Circumpolar Universities for Northern Studies: Ethical Principles for the Conduct of Research in the North
*5
The research should take into account the knowledge and experience of the people and respect that knowledge and experience in the research process . The incorporation of relevant traditional knowledge into all stages of research is encouraged.

Statement on Subsistence, the Traditional and Direct Dependence on Renewable Resources. (Arctic Leaders’ Summit I)
[In order that Subsistence harvesting continue in a dynamic and viable manner, the following elements are needed...]
c) A mechanism for collecting, analyzing, storing and sharing information on traditional knowledge, including techniques of land and resource management, research and allocation of resources.

Declaration of the Second Arctic Leaders’ Summit (ICC, Saami Council, USSR Assn. of Northern Small Peoples), 1991.
We, the Representatives of the Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations of the Arctic, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Nordic Saami Council and the Association of the Small Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the USSR Association of Northern Small Peoples.

Meeting at Hørsholm, Denmark for the first Arctic Indigenous Leaders Summit to ask greater mutual understanding and to further our cooperation;

Having respect for the traditional and continuing stewardship of our lands, waters, plants and animals; and for the traditional knowledge of our Peoples.

Declaration of the Second Arctic Leaders’ Summit (ICC, Saami Council, RAIPON), 1995.
We, the Representatives of the Indigenous Peoples' Organizations of the Arctic, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Saami Council and the Association of the Small Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation.

Recognizing the special role of Indigenous Peoples in environmental management and development in the Arctic, and the significance of Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices, and the need to promote our effective participation to achieve sustainable developement in the Arctic.

Inuit Circumpolar Conference: Principles and Elements for a Comprehensive Arctic Policy. Principles and Elements on Northern Scientific Research
*7
It is recognised that the physical biological and health sciences as well as social and behavioural sciences, can all potentially contribute in significant ways to information and knowledge about the Arctic. However, both ‘scientific’ opinion and Inuit knowledge and experience have validity and therefore should be utilised. If the objectives of northern research are to be achieved, both types of knowledge must be appropriately integrated within a framework of cooperative research. Effective systems to collect and classify Inuit knowledge, particularly in regard to northern resources, the Arctic environment, and Inuit culture must be further developed.

Saami Council & The UN International Decade of Indigenous Peoples - Common Objectives and Joint Measures of the Saami Parliaments
2.2.1 National Measures for the Decade

  • Research must be done to document, develop and strengthen Saami traditional knowledge, in accordance with the Saami’s own interests and priorities.

 
 
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