The Indian Law Centre has released new principles focused on the intersection of international law, indigenous rights and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+). The principles seek to stimulate further discussions on how REDD+ can be implemented with a human rights-based approach. 

The Centre has been advocating on REDD+, which seeks to compensate developing nations which reduce their rate of emissions from deforestation, and considering its potential benefits and challenges to the advancement of the livelihoods and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. The Centre has expressed particular concern on the limited protections for indigenous peoples in planned REDD+ programmes to be implemented by the World Bank, the United Nations UN-REDD Programme, and others. The Centre recommends improved policies to ensure that these programmes operate in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other instruments of international law which protect the rights of indigenous peoples. 

The principles are entitled the “International Law Principles for REDD+: The Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Legal Obligations of REDD+ Actors.” The principles can be downloaded here. The Indian Law Centre requests that comments on the principles be emailed to or feedback shared via their online survey here. Background information on the principles can be found here.