Indigenous People and the United Nations

Luciano Barbosa de Lima, Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, DESA, New York

In a small island a young boy was sent by his uncle, an indigenous community leader, on a mission to guide the community’s children across the sea to the main city. After a long journey, which ended with the children reaching safety, the young boy received news that the military had stormed his village on the island and killed all those who had stayed behind to defend their homes, including his parents and his uncle.

On the other side of the world, communities of indigenous people unite and fight against the exploitation of their traditional land by a government that chooses to ignore their fundamental rights in a conflict that is leading to causalities on both sides.

Unfortunately, such stories are far from uncommon in the everyday lives of indigenous peoples all around the world. There are currently 370 million individuals representing more than 5,000 distinct peoples who classify themselves as being indigenous. The majority live in developing countries, but wherever they live, indigenous people are, or have been, unfairly treated on a regular basis. They are often excluded from political participation since their basic right of voting is ignored and violated. They are also affected by the lack of access to public services such as education, infrastructure, employment and medical care, and represent 5% of the world’s population, as well as 15% of the world’s poor.

To achieve effective development they must be included in countries’ civil life through consultations and participation, as mentioned in the recent UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007).

Who are the indigenous peoples?

Some key issues discussed at the international level include the definition of “indigenous people”, their right to land and natural resources, anthropologic data and the right to live according to indigenous cultures. Self-determination and autonomy, the right to participate in free elections and the importance of treaties between States and indigenous people are also matters of high importance.

There is no unique concept of "indigenous"; yet one common element is being part of historical continuity, with strong links to territory and natural resources. Other elements that characterize indigenous people include having a distinct social, economic and political system, as well as language, culture, beliefs and knowledge systems forming non-dominant sectors of society.

Land rights and access to natural resources are vital to indigenous people worldwide. Some countries are reforming their constitutional and legal systems after having recognized these rights, but there remains more to be done. Indigenous peoples’ rights to protect and control their territories and natural resources are often not respected as they impinge on the government’s ability to increase capital growth. There is often limited scope for them to express ideas and discontent, to access basic services and above all to take part in decision-making processes. Participation in political and social life is vital for the perpetuation of their lifestyles.

To improve and implement these concepts of indigenous peoples’ rights, the UN has created four international mechanisms specifically targeting indigenous peoples:

1) The Permanent Forum, a consultative part of ECOSOC composed of 16 experts. Since 2002 it has held annual meetings open to State representatives, UN agencies, organizations representing indigenous people, academics and NGOs. (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/)

2) The Special Rapporteur, who commenced work in 2001 acting on behalf of the High Commission for Human Rights to promote good practices and provide recommendations related to human rights on indigenous people. (http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/rapporteur/)

3) The Expert mechanism, which was established in 2007 by the Human Rights Council to provide thematic expertise to the Council on indigenous rights. (http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/mechanism.htm)

4) The Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, which promotes coordination worldwide for non-discrimination and the inclusion of indigenous people in development policies, decision-making processes, measurement and evaluation mechanisms. (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/second.html)

Activities aimed at indigenous people are not limited to these mechanisms, and extend to various other initiatives of UN agencies. In recent years much has been done for the coordination and inclusion of indigenous peoples in development policies. However, this is an emerging area that is increasingly debated and there is still a long road ahead for the complete acknowledgement and protection of indigenous people's rights.




Picture © UN Photo/Joseane Daher