Dokumendid - Think Tank - Euroopa Parlament

Analüüs - Opportunities and challenges of the green transition for pastoralism and indigenous people in Africa - 29-05-2024

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 22:00:00 GMT

The green transition aims at creating a sustainable and carbon-neutral economic system. Key to this transition is the change from fossil fuel based energy production and mobility to carbon emission free technologies. The transition also entails a switch to more sustainable land-use practices, including sustainable agriculture. The EU has committed itself to the green transition and is supporting its partners in their paths to sustainable economies through development cooperation. However, large renewable energy projects as well as new land-use plans that are considered and labelled as part of the green transition, may be at odds with traditional forms of land-use. Pastoralist people have traditionally grazed their herds on more than half of Africa’s land and have already lost access to some of these lands through green energy, new sustainable land-use plans and tourism projects. The workshop provided an overview of the challenges and opportunities pastoralists face through green transition projects in Africa. Based on the analysis of cases from Kenya and Tanzania, the workshop was an opportunity to discuss how the EU can ensure that green transition projects under its purview create more opportunities than challenges for pastoralists and other indigenous people in Africa.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2024 - EP

Lühitutvustus - The Arctic: Opportunities, concerns and security challenges - 30-09-2021

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 22:00:00 GMT

Global warming and growing interest in the Arctic's economic potential are bringing changes for the region's 4 million people. The EU's 2016 Arctic policy, prioritising sustainability, economic development and international cooperation, is being revised to reflect these developments. The Foreign Affairs Committee report, on the October I session agenda, notes some of the environmental and security concerns, including the risk of geopolitical tensions.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2021 - EP

Analüüs - Challenges for environmental and indigenous peoples’ rights in the Amazon region - 30-06-2020

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 22:00:00 GMT

The present analysis examines the environmental and human rights challenges in the Amazon region. It finds that the Amazonian countries pursue development policies in the region based on the exploitation on an industrial scale of natural and non-renewable resources that have caused and continue to cause deforestation, loss of biodiversity and engender human rights violations in particular affecting indigenous peoples. The analysis acknowledges the measures taken by the Amazonian countries to establish protected areas and support indigenous territories and their rights but concludes that the laws need strengthening and effective enforcement. The analysis argues that the protection of the Amazon biome is an essential part of the global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and concurs with the view of some scientists that there is an urgency to stop forest loss. The analysis further notes that the most effective guardians of the Amazonian forest and its biodiversity are its indigenous peoples. The analysis concludes by arguing that the European Union has an interest in contributing to the protection of the Amazon and its indigenous peoples. It recommends, among other things, that the EU strengthen its direct support to Amazonian indigenous peoples and environmental defenders and develop effective measures which target EU-based companies whose activities cause deforestation.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2020 - EP

Lühitutvustus - International Year of Indigenous Languages – Sami people and languages in the EU - 08-01-2020

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 13:19:09 GMT

Indigenous languages are the essence of indigenous peoples' culture and traditions. They constitute the majority of the almost 7 000 languages spoken all over the world, yet, tragically, almost half of them are threatened with extinction. The loss of an indigenous language results in the loss of culture, tradition and ancestral knowledge, mainly botanical, gathered throughout the ages by those who speak it, resulting also in the loss of biodiversity. In light of this, the UN General Assembly declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2020 - EP

Uuring - The situation of indigenous children with disabilities - 18-12-2017

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 23:00:00 GMT

Indigenous children with disabilities (ICwD) have received little attention in academic research and development policies. However, they face discrimination at many levels, based on ethnicity, age, ability and gender and this often leads to serious human rights violations. The lack of data, both on the prevalence of disabilities among indigenous children and young people and on specific violations of their human rights, is a serious constraint to any policy intended to respect, protect and promote their human rights. This study seeks to identify these gaps, point to certain patterns and recommend ways of improving data collection and the situation of ICwD in future.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2017 - EP

Briefing - Sakharov Prize Finalists 2017 - 04-12-2017

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 23:00:00 GMT

Short presentation of two Sakharov Prize Finalists 2017.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2017 - EP

Uuring - EU Arctic Policy in Regional Context - 06-07-2016

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 22:00:00 GMT

EU Arctic policy has evolved significantly in recent years, culminating in the April 2016 Joint Communication from the European Commission and the HRVP for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Communication focuses on the environment and climate change, sustainable development, and peaceful international cooperation, with overarching support for scientific research. This coincides with most of the priorities of the EU’s Arctic Member States, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The Communication does not focus on security issues or on hydrocarbon development. Arctic oil and gas are not the primary keys to EU energy security, but do play a role, and are important for the EU’s two main suppliers, Norway and Russia – sustainable management of these resources is in the EU’s interest. While the region has been a model for cooperation – Arctic collaboration with Russia continues via multiple mechanisms, despite wider tensions. That it will remain so cannot be taken for granted. The EU supports peaceful Arctic cooperation via multiple mechanisms, including the Arctic Council, the Barents-Euro Arctic Council, and via multiple cross-border collaboration platforms. As the EU becomes increasingly engaged in Arctic issues, continued focus on policy coherence, engagement with other Arctic stakeholders, and the priorities of the region’s citizens will be essential.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2016 - EP

Uuring - Fisheries Management and the Arctic in the Context of Climate Change - 15-06-2015

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Climate change is expected to significantly affect the Arctic Ocean, primarily through warming and reduction of ice cover. Models suggest that fisheries in the Arctic will benefit from increased primary productivity, expansion of distribution ranges of mainly low to medium resilience boreal commercial species and availability of new fishing grounds, especially in international waters not covered by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations. The EU Arctic policy should further develop international collaboration in research and monitoring, and address future fisheries governance issues.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2015 - EP

Lühitutvustus - The Summit of the Americas - 26-05-2015

Tue, 26 May 2015 10:30:00 GMT

The Summit of the Americas is a unique forum that enables all heads of state from the continent to meet and discuss issues covering their hemisphere. Cuba's first ever attendance, at the forum's Seventh Summit, held in Panama in April 2015, marked a turning point in the process.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2015 - EP

Lühitutvustus - Nicaragua: The Chinese inter-ocean canal project - 05-05-2015

Tue, 05 May 2015 09:53:00 GMT

On 22 December 2014, the controversial construction of a shipping route across Nicaragua to connect the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean was officially launched. With an estimated cost of US$40 to US$50 billion, the Nicaragua inter-ocean canal project could be the biggest-ever infrastructure investment in Latin America's history. The canal will be built by the Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Group (HKND) and is scheduled to be operational by 2020. Opposition to the future waterway is mounting, however, as there are doubts whether the project's calculated economic gains will outweigh the potential adverse environmental and social implications.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2015 - EP

Lühitutvustus - The Outcome of the Ninth Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting - 05-05-2015

Sun, 10 May 2015 22:00:00 GMT

The ministerial meeting in Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada), closed Canada's two-year Arctic Council (AC) chairmanship. Arctic cooperation seems relatively unaffected by the poor state of Russia's relations with the West. Canada invested much in its AC Chairmanship, but its deliverables have been less significant than those of previous chairs. Canada's two main achievements are the Arctic Economic Council and the framework for action on black carbon and methane. The framework is only a step in the right direction, not a full agreement. The programme of the new AC chair, the USA, has the potential to enhance practical cooperation between the EU and the AC. As Canada and the EU had resolved their differences, it seemed possible that the EU would at last receive formal observer status to the Council at the Iqaluit meeting, but Russia's geostrategic interests led Moscow to block the process. Given the growing number of observers, the US chair may propose that only one third of observers join high-level AC meetings under any one chair.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2015 - EP

Lühitutvustus - Arctic Council: navigating global change - 09-02-2015

Sun, 08 Feb 2015 23:00:00 GMT

Climate change and globalisation have increased the focus on the Arctic region and thus on the Arctic Council (AC) as a circumpolar player. Ahead of the ministerial meeting in April 2015 – where the AC will decide on the EU's bid for observer status – preparations for the US to take over the rotating chairmanship for 2015-17 are rekindling debate on the AC's future priorities and role.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2015 - EP

Uuring - Indigenous Peoples, Extractive Industries and Human Rights - 18-09-2014

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 23:00:00 GMT

The present study examines the human rights impacts of the extractive industries on indigenous peoples worldwide. It finds that there continue to be significant human rights risks associated with mining, oil and gas extraction falling disproportionately on indigenous peoples. It argues that the growing demand for non-renewable resources and the need to explore and exploit resources in ever more invasive ways suggest that such activities are likely to impinge even more on the lands of indigenous communities living in countries with important resource reserves. The paper acknowledges the major efforts being made by industry associations to address these issues through voluntary guidelines but finds that, notwithstanding, conflicts and violence persist and that further measures are required to protect the rights and interests of indigenous peoples. The universal acceptance of the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides impetus to renewed efforts to ensure implementation of the provisions in practice. The paper concludes by recommending, among other things, that the European Union as one of the regions championing the Declaration at the United Nations take the initiative to develop a region-wide framework for extractive industries that sanction companies and provide legal redress in cases where the human rights of indigenous peoples are violated.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2014 - EP

Lühitutvustus - EU-Indonesia agreement on trade in legal timber - 20-02-2014

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 13:25:00 GMT

The EU-Indonesia Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) was signed on 30 September 2013. It is the first FLEGT VPA the EU has made with an Asian timber-exporting country; VPAs with Malaysia and Vietnam are likely to follow. Please click here for the full publication in PDF format Available language versions:

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2014 - EP

Briefing - Brazil's Belo Monte Dam project: Financial impact, indigenous peoples' rights & the environment - 20-06-2013

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:00:00 GMT

Brazil is constructing the third largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. The Belo Monte Dam is being built in the state of Pará, Brazil. Its first commercial generation is expected to come on stream in 2015. Opponents criticise the investment because of its environmental impact, lack of consultation of indigenous people and the resettlement of at least 5 100 families.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2013 - EP

Briefing - Forced Displacement Looms for Bedouins in the Negev - 08-10-2012

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:35:36 GMT

There are 35 unrecognised Bedouin villages, many outdating the creation of the state of Israel. They lack basic services and the Israeli authorities consider the villages' inhabitants illegal trespassers. Israel actively promotes Jewish settlement in the Negev and has extensive plans to develop economic and military activity in the region. These entail confining the Bedouins into small enclaves. Although the Bedouins face serious social problems and lack prospects to sustainably develop their communities, they wish to be masters of their own future. Several international organisations are fiercely opposed to the Prawer Plan, arguing it constitutes a violation of the Bedouins' fundamental, constitutional rights.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2012 - EP

Uuring - Intellectual Property Rights on Genetic Resources and the Fight against Poverty - 19-12-2011

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:36:01 GMT

The developmental impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on genetic resources (GR) and associated traditional knowledge (TK) has been intensely discussed internationally for more than a decade. In this respect, plant GR for food and agriculture, GR for health as well as the related rights of indigenous and local communities possess particular importance for poverty reduction. The EU can play an important role in advancing regulatory action in this field that enhances the effectiveness of the fight against poverty, both domestically and at the international level. The 2010 Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity that addresses “biopiracy” related to GR/TK is awaiting ratification and full and effective implementation, which will, inter alia, require capacity building especially for least developed countries. Another important contribution to combating biopiracy would be the establishment of a requirement to disclose in patent applications the source of any GR/TK used, as currently under negotiation in the World Trade Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation. The rights of indigenous and local communities, especially with respect to their TK, deserve particular protection both in the EU and internationally, to be designed in consultation with these communities. IPRs on seeds and medicines should not be allowed to compromise the human rights to food and health. There is a need for advancing research and development on seeds and medicines that are targeted at low-income populations in developing countries.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2011 - EP

Uuring - Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change - 13-05-2009

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:36:48 GMT

This study addresses the specific challenges which indigenous peoples face as a consequence of climate change and related policy response measures. Generally, the approach is based on the concept that human vulnerability to the impacts of climate change (and to the potential impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures) depends on a range of factors that so far have not been examined in great detail. In order to reduce the vulnerability of indigenous peoples to climate change impacts, responses need to be rooted in an understanding of indigenous people’s rights as human beings and as peoples. This demands coordination with a range of instruments and processes, including the United Nations Permanent Forum on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum, together with several inter-governmental and nongovernmental processes and institutions, has been active in promoting approaches that take account of the rights of indigenous peoples. The study argues that international climate change policies have not yet been sufficiently responsive to this requirement, although there is admittedly increasing attention to the debate. However, it is crucial that the upcoming steps in designing international climate change policies should clearly incorporate the rights dimensions of climate change.

Allikas : © Euroopa Liit, 2009 - EP