The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest – AIDESEP, The Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River – COMARU, Citizen Action for Camisea and other civil society organizations, by signing below, are expressing our objection to the organization of the Interamerican Development Bank’s (IDB) 7th Camisea Consultation Meeting, Friday, March 20, 2009 in Lima. The meeting does not provide a guarantee of concrete results and commitments from the State, the IDB nor the companies of the Camisea Consortium with regards to the various aspects of the Camisea Project.
Since the beginning of the project, it has transformed the way the local population lives, the customs and traditions of the indigenous communities, the economic dynamics and access to natural resources. At the same time, the resources generated by the Camisea Project have not been oriented toward sustainable development of the populations located in the project’s sphere of influence nor has it been evident in national development through any sustainable energy policy.
The IDB’s Camisea Consultation Meetings have occurred semiannually in Washington and Lima. The most recent meeting took place in Lima on November 28, 2007. Over the course of this process, the civil society organizations have worked proactively to ensure that these are truly forums for dialogue that is democratic, inclusive and participatory and that the meetings result in enforceable commitments related to the Camisea Project work agenda.
Despite the constant communications and submitted proposals designed to overcome these difficulties, the following deficiencies persist:
•The agenda has not been agreed upon by all parties. There has been no process of prior consultation carried out, particularly with indigenous organizations, in order to propose discussion topics and provide opinions regarding the agenda of the 7th Consultation Meeting. Moreover, ACC, in coordination with other civil society organizations, proposed a two-day agenda that included the principal matters to which the State has committed itself with the two loans awarded to IDB for the Camisea Project. However, our proposal was reduced to a one-day meeting and provided for considerably reduced time for participation by civil society as well as indigenous organizations.
• The participation of the diverse stakeholders was not guaranteed. Due to the short period of time for planning it has not been possible to ensure the presence and participation of key interest groups, such as state decision-makers and the Andean and Amazonian communities affected by the Camisea Project.
• The relevant information has not been distributed. The final report of IDB loan 1441 and the complementary report of the 21 commitments made by the Peruvian government was not released to the public in advance, reducing our opportunity for analysis and debate.
• The coordination time frame was very brief. Barely three weeks prior to the date were we notified that the Consultation Meeting would take place on Friday, March 20, and to date we don’t know what the final agenda will look like.
The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest – AIDESEP, The Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River – COMARU, Citizen Action for Camisea – ACC and other signatory civil society organizations once again call for the Consultation Meetings to be forums of effective dialogue and that the rights of the indigenous communities to be heard and to participate in their own development be respected. We will continue to advocate for the implementation of these meetings, for which it is necessary that the IDB’s commitment to:
• Establish the basic guidelines for the organization of the coming consultation meetings and compliance with the agreements and commitments of past meetings. These must be translated into Terms of Reference in which a clear methodology and calendar are established.
• Establish combined monitoring meetings for the progress of the various parties’ commitments.
• Ensure the participation of leaders and/or authorities of the affected communities of the distinct project areas (the coast, mountains and forest), while also providing them with the necessary information for informed and active participation.
• Permit the affected communities and civil society to propose themes for the agenda of the Camisea Consultation Meetings.
• Convene the Camisea Consultation Meetings with at lease a month advance notice, making the final agenda available.
• Extend the duration of the meetings with the purpose of being able to develop them fully in two days, not saturating the agenda or excluding topical matters from discussion.
• Organize the 8th Consultation Meeting in Cusco, as has been promised by the IDB, within the established time frame of six months, that is to say in the month of August, 2009.
Finally, we believe that the Consultation Meetings, prior to becoming a forum for accountability, should serve to establish the principles of development promoted by the State and the Interamerican Development Bank through the Camisea Project. It is for this reason that the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest – AIDESEP, The Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River – COMARU, Citizen Action for Camisea – ACC and other signatory civil society organizations reiterate our commitment to dialogue among the parties involved in the Camisea Project in order to address the negative consequences generated and to promote conditions for the sustainable benefit of the project.
Lima, March 20, 2009
http://www.aidesep.org.pe
http://accionciudadanacamisea.org/
Alberto Pizango Chota
President of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest – AIDESEP
Rubén Binari
President of the Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River – COMARU
Pilar Camero
Coordinator of Citizen Action for Camisea – ACC
Epifanio Baca
Vigilance Area, Citizen Proposal
David Llanos
Executive Director of the Association for the Conservation
of Cutivireni Heritage – ACPC
Franklin Mendoza Muñoz
Urubamba Regional Director of the
Center of Amazonian Investigation and Promotion – CIPA
