COLLECTIVE LEGAL AUTONOMY CONCERNING TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE: THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THEIR LINKAGES TO BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN COLOMBIA AND AUSTRALIA NATALIA RODRÍGUEZ-URIBE LLB Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá–Colombia) MIntEnvLaw, LLM Macquarie University (Sydney–Australia) MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL Macquarie University, Sydney–Australia This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law Submitted: August 2013 Approved: March 2014 1 COLLECTIVE LEGAL AUTONOMY CONCERNING TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE NATALIA RODRÍGUEZ URIBE 2 COLLECTIVE LEGAL AUTONOMY CONCERNING TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE NATALIA RODRÍGUEZ URIBE TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. i Abstract ................................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. vi List of Acronyms, Abbreviations and Short Titles .............................................................ix Table of Cases .....................................................................................................................xi Human Rights Treaties Ratified by Australia ................................................................. xiii Tables and Figures ............................................................................................................. iv INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 I. Problem Statement and Hypothesis ................................................................................................. 1 I.1 Challenges and Risks .................................................................................................................. 13 II. Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 15 II.1. Why Colombia and Australia? ............................................................................................... 17 III. Scope ................................................................................................................................................ 22 III.1. Interests that Promote Biodiversity Protection ................................................................. 23 III.2. Interests that Promote Biodiversity Destruction .............................................................. 24 III.3. Grey Areas............................................................................................................................... 26 III.4. Caveat: the Conundrum of Mining and Property Regimes ............................................. 28 III.5. Excluded Topics ..................................................................................................................... 30 IV. Chapter Overview .......................................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER I Biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights: Framing the Discussion on Conservation .............................................................................................. 35 I. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 35 II. First Legal Interest: Biodiversity Protection ................................................................................ 40 II.1. Genetic Variability ................................................................................................................... 43 II.1.1. Tragic Cases of Inbreeding Depression ................................................................................... 44 II.2. Diversity of Species ................................................................................................................. 47 II.2.1. Diversity of Species and Healthy Ecosystems .......................................................................... 48 II.2.2. Keystone and Engineer Species ............................................................................................... 50 II.3. Ecosystems ............................................................................................................................... 52 II.4. International Legal Framework ............................................................................................. 53 III. Second Legal Interest: The Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples........................................ 57 III.2. International Legal Foundations for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Indigenous Peoples ................................................................................................................ 61 III.2.1. Human Rights to Self-Determination and Governance Autonomy ........................................ 63 III.2.2. Collective Human Rights over Territories and Resources ....................................................... 68 III.2.3. Human Rights to Public Participation and Consultation ...................................................... 72 III.2.4. Human Rights Linked with Cultural Integrity .................................................................... 74 III.2.5. Human Right to Non-Discrimination .................................................................................. 75 IV. Collisions ......................................................................................................................................... 77 IV.1. Collisions between Biodiversity and the Interests of the Cultural Majority .................. 79 i COLLECTIVE LEGAL AUTONOMY CONCERNING TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE NATALIA RODRÍGUEZ URIBE IV.2. Collisions: Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights and the Interests of the Majority within Conservation Debates ............................................................................................... 86 IV.3. Collisions between Biodiversity Conservation and the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples ................................................................................................................ 89 V. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER II Fortress Conservation: Separating People From Nature ........................... 95 I. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 95 II. The Myth of the Pristine Landscape: Legal Evolution of Fortress Conservation ................. 98 II.1. Early Romanticism and National Parks ............................................................................... 99 II.2. The Listing Model: Engaging Nations in a Mutual Endeavour ......................................105 II.2.1. Cooperation and Flexible Mechanisms in Ramsar ...............................................................108 II.2.2. Engaging Humanity in Heritage Preservation ......................................................................113 II.3. Common Concern and the Ecosystem Approach ............................................................118 II.3.1. IUCN Categories for Protected Areas .................................................................................125 III. Drawbacks of Fortress Conservation, Advantages of an Inclusive Ecosystem Approach ........................................................................................................................................127 III.1. Combating the Sixth Extinction ........................................................................................128 III.2. Disagreements over the Protection of Hotspots .............................................................133 III.3. The Human Community Side of the Debate: Opposing Fortress Conservation .......134 III.4. The Conservationist Side of the Debate: Advantages of Ecosystem Protection and Fortress Conservation ..................................................................................................139 IV. Fortress Conservation in Colombia and Australia ..................................................................142 IV.1. Methodology .........................................................................................................................142 IV.2. Root Causes of Environmental Degradation ...................................................................143 IV.3. Colombia: An Ecological Constitution for a Megadiverse Country .............................148 IV.3.1. Pre-1991 Environmental Law and Policy .........................................................................149 IV.3.2. Constitutional Framework ................................................................................................151 IV.3.3. Actions and Standing .......................................................................................................154 IV.4. Australia: Federalism and Environmental Law ................................................................160 IV.4.1. The Australian Constitution .............................................................................................161 IV.4.2. International Influences on Domestic Environmental Law .................................................163