Harry Jonas, Natural Justice, presented at a side event on Day 3 of the ABSWG9 in Cali, Colombia. Alongside colleagues Alejandro Argumedo (Asociacion ANDES, Peru), Heraclio Herrera (Fundacion Dob Yala, Panama), and Rodrigo de la Cruz (COICA, Bolivia), he presented on bio-cultural community protocols in the context of the International Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing. Harry discussed the Bushbuckridge community protocol in South Africa, while the others discussed protocols from their respective communities in Latin America. Colleagues Carmen Candelo (WWF-Colombia) and Jaime Delgadillo (AGRUCO-COMPAS, Bolivia), who work on similar issues surrounding bio-cultural diversity and endogenous development, were also in attendance. The event underscored the increasing relevance of community protocols as tools and processes to ensure the recognition and support of communities’ rights and customary laws.
