Dear Editor,
The National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) was made aware by external sources that the Amerindian Peoples’ Association (APA) wrote the ART Secretariat asking that the carbon credits programme, of which over US$22M was already disbursed to 242 villages, be stopped. The NTC was reliably informed that in the APA’s Communication to the ART Secretariat dated 8th March, 2023, the APA asked for ‘credits issued to Guyana that have not yet been purchased be frozen and suspended, and that no further credits be issued’ until the APA’s ultimatum is met. This position by the APA has not been consulted on at the level of indigenous villages, and needless to say, is not supported by indigenous villages. In fact, indigenous villages are totally unaware that the APA is advancing this stance at the level of the international community. The APA is also not authorized to represent the views of the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana. They were not elected to do so by indigenous villages, and have no authority to speak on behalf of Amerindian villages and communities in Guyana.
The National Toshaos’ Council is a national body, elected by village leaders from each indigenous village and community in Guyana. Each of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions also elects a regional focal point as an appointed NTC lead. This is a democratically elected body representing every indigenous village in Guyana. The NTC therefore feels compelled to denounce the APA’s complaint to ART that was secretly done, without consultations with indigenous villages or the NTC. The APA’s position on matters regarding Guyana’s engagement in ART TREES, consultations on the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 and the revision of the Amerindian Act 2006, among other areas that the APA has apparently expressed complaint about, are not shared by the Indigenous Villages of Guyana. The APA has alleged that there has not been sufficient consultations on Guyana’s application to ART TREES and the LCDS 2030. The APA sits on the Multi Stakeholder Steering Committee of the LCDS and has absented itself from many meetings. There was an open invitation for all MSSC members to lead LCDS consultations, a role which many MSSC members undertook. The APA did not participate in this process though invitations were extended on several occasions to attend community meetings and to support communications and consultations activities.
The NTC also distances itself from assertions by the APA that the revision of the Amerindian Act, a process that has already started, in any way prevents this programme or any other programme on forest governance to go ahead. Certainly, to any reasonable mind, as policies see revisions, and as legislations see updating, national programmes should not be held in wait. The most apparent fallacy outlined in the APA’s complaint is regarding the Amerindian Land titling programme.
It is entirely false to convey that there is some move to stall, or slow down, the Amerindian Land Titling Programme. There is an expressed Government commitment to complete all outstanding land claims and demarcations under the current land titling project funded under the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund project. This commitment is publicly known and for the APA to say otherwise is entirely misleading.
More directly on the LCDS 2030, the APA, on several occasions, sought to misrepresent and mislead the public by undermining or seeking to create confusion about the clear mandate of the NTC. As the elected body of indigenous leaders, the NTC, within its mandate under the Amerindian Act, represents Amerindian villages in national programmes. The engagement in ART TREES is one such example. At the national meeting of all Toshaos in July 2022, a resolution was passed supporting the LCDS 2030, including the benefits sharing mechanism that was consulted on of 15% of all revenues from carbon credits sale going directly to indigenous villages. The resolution recognized that the LCDS is clear of additional uncapped amount being invested through national programmes. In this resolution, villages recognize that each will chart its own path to development as direct payments to villages will be continuous as long as Guyana earns and sells carbon credits, and village plans will be well resourced. This is empowering village level decision making, project implementation, livelihoods and wellbeing. The APA is seeking to distort this reality and this should be called out in unambiguous terms.
The NTC is on record of advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples. Where there are challenges, the NTC has facilitated engagement with villages and technical agencies. We also urge that these matters be discussed at the national level and solutions sought at the level of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. The lines of communication must be open to discuss ideas for improvement on all fronts, and identify challenges early and work together on solutions. The APA’s current adversarial approach is unhelpful and to indigenous villages. In seeking to stymie the recent forest carbon credits programme, by asking for its suspension, the APA is preventing sustainable livelihood activities from advancing at the village level. The NTC calls on Amerindian Villages to be aware of the efforts made by the APA to suspend this programme, a programme that will bring livelihood opportunities to each village. The NTC sees this as a secret attempt to derail all the hard work that villages have been doing on village planning with the aim of mobilizing the forest carbon credits resources and worse yet, doing so without consulting with the people they purport to represent. The APA complaint is not supported by the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, it runs counter to the desires of villages, is being falsely presented as being representative of the broad consensus in Guyana, and should be denounced in every way.
Sincerely,
Derrick John – Toshao Moraikobai, Chair National Toshaos Council
Sonia Latchman – Toshao, Bethany, Vice Chair of the NTC
Shane Cornelius – Toshao, Karrau, Secretary of the NTC
Michael Thomas – Toshao, Aishalton
Melina Pollard – Toshao, Riversview
The Executive Body of the National Toshaos’ Council
