Formerly known as Tebtebba Convention on Biodiversity Desk, the program took the task of advocating biodiversity policies relevant to indigenous peoples, gained momentum and became a full fledge program in 2004 engaging in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD) processes. Previous work included coordinating with other indigenous peoples’ group and strategizing for the effective intervention to input on priority issues and concerns of indigenous peoples such as but not limited to indigenous peoples rights, indigenous knowledge, free prior and informed consent, customary sustainable resource use, and access and benefit sharing.

Within the overall framework of Tebtebba, which is the integrated holistic approach for indigenous peoples sustainable, self-determined development (IHA-IPSSDD), the Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Program continues to advocate for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It aims to concretize the operationalization of IHA-IPSSDD with partner communities in the grassroots level.

  1. Deepen indigenous peoples’ understanding on the CBD’s objectives, Strategic Plan, crosscutting and thematic work programmes towards enabling indigenous peoples’ participation in the its implementation at the local and national level;
  2. Support capacity-building work with indigenous peoples’ organizations to strengthen CBD-related research, policy advocacy and education; and
  3. Establish and strengthen Knowledge and Learning Networks on customary governance, indigenous knowledge and customary sustainable use among indigenous peoples and indigenous women.
Our main program thrust is capacity building to enable indigenous communities to assert and secure their rights to lands / territories and manage resources towards attaining food security while strengthening community resilience. Moreover, the program continues to participate in the UN processes to secure indigenous peoples rights to customary land tenure and for the conservation of ecosystems, natural habitats and biodiversity that are inextricably linked to peoples well-being.

The program commits to extend services that will contribute to the following:
  1. Strengthening indigenous governance and cultural values on sustainable resource use within the IPSSDD framework;
  2. Improving community resilience while increasing food security by innovating on traditional resource management; and
  3. Generating, sharing and popularizing knowledge systems that promote the enhancement of productivity and ecosystems goods and services through the Community Based Monitoring and Information Systems (CBMIS).
  4. In partnership with communities we work with, we intend to increase number of women in leadership structures in various areas, initiate studies to look into the cultural norms that put women and children to dis-advantage and facilitate enabling conditions for communities to address such.