San Jose community gives FPIC to RRB project

Black Immigrant Daily News

SAN JOSE, Toledo, Mon. Aug. 22, 2022

This weekend, residents of San Jose, Toledo, gave the Resilient Rural Belize Program (RRB), Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), to implement programs in the community geared toward addressing the impacts of climatic and economic events on small farmers. The Government of Belize first entered into the agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development and received a loan from that organization. With a subsequent loan and grant from the Green Climate Fund, the government is now implementing the RRB program. The organization, which is operating for a six-year period that ends in 2024, sought the indigenous community’s approval to begin to implement its development project under its mandate.

The release issued today states, “the RRB Programme had to implement the legally required process of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) — a process that is a relatively new practice in Belize. The RRB Programme’s FPIC process road map was developed drawing on IFAD, and GCF requirements, international instruments such as UNDRIP, the Caribbean Court of Justice Ruling of 2015, and the Maya of Southern Belize FPI Consultation Protocol.”

An Indigenous People’s Plan and FPIC agreement were developed along with the community, the joint release from the Government, Green Climate Fund, and IFAD stated.

It said, “This output of the consultation process is not a simple yes or no, but an agreement and plan that specifies the way forward, including how the project will be implemented, benefits shared, how conflict may be resolved (grievance mechanism), and how additional consent if that were necessary, will be obtained.”

Consultations are said to have begun as early as January 2022.

The program is being implemented by its Programme Management Unit, which acts through the Ministry of Finance, designated as the lead program agency, and seeks to implement two components under the project activities, which include: 1. A matching grant to support small holder farmers with co- financing investment to improve agricultural production in volume and quantity and to invest in safeguarding food security from existing and projected climatic impact, and 2. The possibility of funding to upgrade rural roads for the project.

During his presentation to the community yesterday, Minister of Rural Development, Oscar Requena said a road to transport the produce cultivated by the community to the market is on the top of the list, adding that the RRB chose to work with San Jose because of the community’s productivity.

“We recognized that San Jose is a very productive community. You produce cacao, you produce vegetables, your produce gains, your produce livestock and you are also getting into cardamon and other grains, so we have to find a way to support you so that you can also help yourself. I am happy to be a part of this historic day, because today we are witnessing the first FPIC agreement coming out of San Jose, where you as a community recognized that you want development in your community, but we must go through the process to consult to engage you. You have given approval, and now we will work forward to implement the project, of course continuing the consultation process as we go along.” Minister Oscar Requeña stated.

At the time the government of Belize and the representatives for the Maya communities in Toledo are still before the Caribbean Court of Justice trying to implement the consent order which directs that the parties agree on a framework for free, prior, informed, consent. At the last hearing, the parties were told to meet and try to mend their relationship after the Maya leaders and government were publicly at odds following the submission of an FPIC protocol by the government which the Maya communities considered to be unilateral.

The leaders of the Maya Leaders Alliance and Toledo Alcaldes Association were reportedly at the Sunday signing of the FPIC.

“I also want to recognize the Chairman of the Alcaldes Association and also the staff of the Maya Leaders Alliance who are here. We thank you for being here, because, ladies and gentlemen, this is a very important process in which we as a people must come together, we must work together, we must join our hands together to bring development for the people of Toledo District,” Minister Requeña said.

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