Scroll down for French and Spanish In this edition Maximo Ba Tiul, the head of international relations, presents the Tezulutlan Peoples’ Council, a member organisation of the Network that represents indigenous communities in Guatemala. Could you introduce your organisation? The Tezulutlan People’s Council (Consejo de Pueblos de Tezulutlan, CPT) is a network of Q’echi, Poqomchi’, …
Read more “Watch This! NGO Newsletter #14 Member Spotlight – Tezulutlan Peoples’ Council”
Dear members of the European Parliament,
On behalf of the Chair of the CDM Executive Board, I would like to thank you for your communication of 20 May 2015, informing us of your serious concern about project 9713: Santa Rita Hydroelectric Plant. Your letter was made available to the CDM Executive Board (the Board).
I hereby inform you that project 9713” Santa Rita Hydroelectric Plant” was registered by the Board on 2 June 2014 after undergoing a review process at the request of Board members. The issues you raise in your letter were looked at during the course of this review and it was found that the proposed project activity had complied with the requirements of the CDM, including the local stakeholder consultation process. Further, the designated national authority (DNA) of Guatemala issued required letter of approval (dated 2 July 2012) confirming that the project will assist Guatemala in its efforts to achieve sustainable development. The DNA had also confirmed to the Board, in the course of the review of the project activity, that the local stakeholder consultation process was carried-out appropriately.
Dear Mr Schneider and Mr Buendia,
As a Member of the European Parliament committed to the respect of Human Rights, we are writing to you to express our serious concern about the Santa Rita Hydroelectric Plant in the Dolores River in Guatemala, which was registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in June 2014 (project number 9713).
In a meeting in March 2015 with a representative of the local indigenous communities we learnt that many of the communities that will be impacted by the project were never consulted in accordance with the CDM local stakeholder consultation requirements. As a result, the project has been, and still is, in the center of a violent conflict between the communities and the power company implementing this project.
Des activistes venant d’Afrique, d’Asie et d’Amérique centrale ont rencontré les institutions financières et les décisionnaires impliqués dans le financement de projets de développement afin de partager leurs expériences avec les mécanismes existants d’atténuation des changements climatiques, tel le Mécanisme de développement propre (MDP), et de souligner les graves impacts de ces mécanismes de l’ONU sur les droits de l’homme fondamentaux. La responsabilité en matière de financement pour la lutte contre le changement climatique fut donc abordée sous une perspective européenne.
Le barrage hydroélectrique de Santa Rita constitue une infraction aux droits élémentaires des peuples indigènes. Ce projet, soutenu par l’État du Guatemala et les fonds octroyés par les principales banques de Suisse, d’Allemagne, d’Espagne, des Pays-Bas et par la Banque mondiale, a pour objectif le développement général des communautés Q’eqchi de la rivière Dolores. Il a entraîné les conséquences craintes dès le début : décès, peur, déplacement des populations, expulsions et répression des communautés locales.
Activistas de África, Asia y Centroamérica se reunieron con las instituciones financiera y los responsables implicados en la financiación de proyectos de desarrollo con el fin de compartir sus experiencias en los mecanismos existentes de atenuación de los cambios climáticos, como el Mecanismo de desarrollo limpio (MDL), y destacar los graves impactos de estos mecanismos de la ONU sobre los derechos humanos fundamentales. La responsabilidad en la financiación para la lucha contra el cambio climático se debatió entonces desde una perspectiva europea.
La hidroeléctrica Santa Rita ha violado los elementales derechos de los pueblos indígenas. Apoyado por el Estado de Guatemala y con capital multinacional, acudiendo a la búsqueda de financiamiento en principales bancos de Suiza, Alemania, España, Holanda e incluso del Banco Mundial, en vez de general desarrollo para las comunidades Q’eqchi del Río Dolores, el proyecto ha traído sus condiciones iniciales, provocando muerte, miedo, desplazamiento, desalojo y represión en las comunidades locales.
Sharing experiences with existing climate mitigation mechanisms, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and highlighting the severe impacts on basic human rights these UN mechanisms can have, activists from Africa, Asia and Central America met with financial institutions and policy makers involved in financing these projects. The accountability of climate finance was thereby discussed from a European perspective.
The Santa Rita hydro dam is a violation of the basic rights of native people. This project, supported by the State of Guatemala and the funds granted by the major banks of Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and by the World Bank for the general development of the Q’ eqchi communities of the Dolores River, generated the consequences feared from the beginning: death, fear, populations displacement, expulsions and repression of the local communities.
Last week in an event in the European Parliament, various stakeholders discussed experiences with existing climate mechanisms against the future climate finance policy landscape, where potentially huge amounts of climate finance will not only be channeled through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) but also through bilateral agreements and other instruments where it is still unclear what types of safeguards and compliance mechanisms will be applicable and how the respective public and private stakeholders involved will be accountable.
