Thursday, May 24, 2012

ONU: pueblos indígenas hacia la primera conferencia mundial


Víctor M. Carriba / Prensa Latina

Naciones Unidas. Quinientos veinte años después de la llegada de los colonizadores al llamado Nuevo Mundo, indígenas de todos los rincones regresaron ahora a Naciones Unidas con reclamos por el legado que todavía sufren sus comunidades por aquella invasión.

Y para acelerar los preparativos de la primera Conferencia Mundial de Pueblos Indígenas, a celebrarse en 2014 como colofón de más de cinco siglos de lucha en defensa de los derechos de todo tipo negados a esos conglomerados.

Más de dos mil representantes de grupos autóctonos acaban de concluir dos semanas de debates en la sede del organismo mundial en Nueva York en la XI sesión del Foro Permanente para Asuntos de los Pueblos Indígenas.

El tema central de las discusiones giró en torno al título "La doctrina del descubrimiento y su repercusión duradera en los pueblos indígenas y el derecho a recibir reparación por conquistas del pasado".

Una de las pautas del intercambio la marcó la aimara chilena Hortensia Hidalgo al apuntar que los conquistadores europeos usaron la cruz y la espada para imponer su doctrina de un dios y un rey, obtuvieron la dispensa papal para cristianizar a los indígenas y crearon la noción de razas superiores e inferiores.

Ellos invadieron los territorios indígenas, violaron de manera sistemática los derechos de sus pueblos, son los responsables del cambio climático y ahora hablan de economía verde solo para persistir en sus políticas de pillaje de la Madre Tierra, aseguró.

El cónclave de la ONU acordó una recomendación que llama a los Estados a rectificar los errores causados por esa y otras doctrinas, en particular por la violación de los derechos de las comunidades originarias a la tierra, y a la restitución u otras formas de reparación.

También ratificó la Declaración sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas en su denuncia a las doctrinas, políticas y prácticas basadas en la superioridad de determinados pueblos o individuos por razones de origen nacional y diferencias raciales, religiosas, étnicas o culturales.

Esas prácticas son racistas, científicamente falsas, jurídicamente inválidas, moralmente condenables y socialmente injustas, insistieron los delegados.

Por esa vía, agregaron, los Estados han suprimido los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, los cuales tienen derechos colectivos a las tierras, territorios y recursos que tradicionalmente han poseído, ocupado o utilizado y exigieron el respeto a sus costumbres, tradiciones y sistemas de tenencia de la tierra.

El punto forma parte de la Declaración de la ONU sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, adoptada en septiembre de 2007 por la Asamblea General y cuyo quinto aniversario fue conmemorado durante la XI sesión del foro.

El encuentro emitió otra recomendación sobre el derecho de esas comunidades a la soberanía alimentaria, el cual vincularon al reconocimiento colectivo de sus prerrogativas relacionadas con la tierra y los recursos, la cultura y la organización social.
En ese sentido, instó a los Estados a facilitar el fortalecimiento de los sistemas tradicionales de alimentación, ratificando y demarcando los territorios indígenas para que puedan desarrollar mejor sus actividades de producción de alimentos.

Asimismo, reclamó avanzar en las negociaciones para un instrumento legal internacional que garantice la protección efectiva del conocimiento tradicional indígena, las expresiones culturales, el folclore y los recursos genéticos.

Por iniciativa del caucus latinoamericano, se propuso la adopción de una Declaración Universal sobre los Derechos de la Madre Tierra, a partir de la Cumbre Mundial de los Pueblos Indígenas de 2014.

La sugerencia recordó que las poblaciones nativas son herederas de grandes civilizaciones y han conquistado con muchos sacrificios el reconocimiento de sus derechos en instrumentos jurídicos internacionales.

Sin embargo, denunció que el actual modelo neoliberal vulnera los derechos de los indígenas y de la Madre Tierra, y reduce a los Estados a su mínima expresión, con la única tarea de dictar políticas que favorecen las inversiones, en especial en actividades extractivas.
Como consecuencia de eso, los pueblos autóctonos padecen el despojo de territorios y bienes naturales, el desplazamiento forzoso, la contaminación ambiental, daños a la salud y la violación de sus lugares sagrados, según se explicó. Además sufren la imposición de modelos ajenos de desarrollo homogeneizador, depredador y represivo que ya evidencia su inviabilidad en múltiples crisis y el desconocimiento del derecho a la consulta y el consentimiento previo, libre e informado.

Ese ángulo de las discusiones apunta directamente a la Conferencia de la ONU sobre Desarrollo Sostenible (Río+20) a celebrase el mes próximo en Río de Janeiro.

Por todo eso, la cita de Nueva York instó a que la cumbre de 2014 discuta también sobre nuevos paradigmas, como "los Estados plurinacionales frente al Estado Nación en crisis y al cambio climático" y la noción del Buen Vivir como alternativa a la crisis y la llamada economía verde.

Otro tema clave del encuentro analizó los problemas de la violencia contra las mujeres indígenas para acordar acciones dirigidas a la aplicación de planes con perspectiva de género con vistas a la protección de esas féminas.

Llamó a combatir la trata de personas y todas las formas de explotación conexas e instaron a las comunidades autóctonas a denunciar las distintas formas de violencia contra sus mujeres.
El objetivo es proteger a las víctimas, enjuiciar a los autores y evitar todas las formas de explotación, en particular la trata de personas, apuntó.

Sobre este último aspecto, los expertos del foro ratificaron sugerencias previas para enfrentar el comercio de seres humanos con fines de explotación sexual y la prostitución y otras referidas a la desaparición y asesinato de mujeres aborígenes.
Igualmente se discutió en torno a prácticas culturales como la mutilación y la ablación genital femenina, el matrimonio con precio de la novia, el racismo y la discriminación.

Solo restan dos años para la primera Cumbre de los Pueblos Indígenas, cuya organización debe contar con un importante protagonismo de esas comunidades y sus representantes, según advirtió el canciller de Bolivia, David Choquehuanca.

El ministro, quien presentó propuestas concretas al respecto, dijo que esa cita debe analizar el cumplimiento de los objetivos trazados para el Segundo decenio de los Pueblos Indígenas del Mundo (2005-2014) y el estado de implementación de la declaración de 2007.

Esta última contiene 46 artículos, el primero de los cuales dice que "los indígenas tienen derecho, como pueblos o como individuos, al disfrute pleno de todos los derechos humanos y las libertades fundamentales".

Y el segundo apunta que esas comunidades "son libres e iguales a todos los demás pueblos y personas y tienen derecho a no ser objeto de ningún tipo de discriminación en el ejercicio de sus derechos, en particular la fundada en su origen o identidad indígenas".

Monday, May 21, 2012

Commemoration of Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples


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Statement by Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, on 5th anniversary of UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples


High-level commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
17 May 2012, New York
Excellencies,
Esteemed representatives of indigenous peoples,
Ladies and gentlemen,


I am pleased to join you in celebrating the first five years of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 


Since its adoption, the Declaration has been met with great enthusiasm by indigenous peoples and others committed to advancing human rights all over the world. It has been called “a triumph for justice and human dignity”, a “historic opportunity”, and a document giving rise to great expectations “which should not and must not be betrayed”.


Why such excitement? What sets this Declaration apart from those international texts and declarations that remain largely unknown and unused outside the walls of the international organizations that created them?


The answer lies, I believe, in both the drafting process and content of the Declaration.


First, the process:  It was long -- lasting more than 20 years -- but it was truly inclusive. The Declaration was not imposed or dictated by anyone:  indigenous peoples and State representatives built it together. This partnership created broad ownership of the results. As Les Malezer, the then-Chair of the Global Indigenous Caucus said at the time of the adoption “the Declaration does not represent solely the viewpoint of the United Nations, nor does it represent solely the viewpoint of the Indigenous Peoples. It is a Declaration which combines our views and interests and which sets the framework for the future.” True, there were some doubters, but now also those Member States that voted against the Declaration back in 2007 have endorsed it.


Second, the content of the Declaration:  While built on non-discrimination and other binding human rights standards, the Declaration provides significantly more details in areas that are essential to the dignity and survival of indigenous peoples. Through a combination of individual and collective rights, the Declaration provides crucial guarantees against relocation of indigenous peoples from their lands without their free, prior and informed consent, against forced assimilation and against exclusion from decision-making, while requiring support for indigenous peoples’ own educational institutions and decision-making structures as well as protection of their cultural heritage. I could go on.


The enthusiasm is, therefore, well merited.


Yet, even as we celebrate the accomplishment that is the Declaration, we must also remember that for most indigenous peoples, the reality has nothing to do with these laudable standards.  As the High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated, “it is one thing to have proclaimed the Declaration, and it is quite another to see it implemented”.  While the Declaration has inspired a number of promising new initiatives ranging from consultative structure to laws devoted to indigenous peoples, overall indigenous peoples in all regions of the world remain amongst the most marginalized and impoverished, frequently victims of discrimination and excluded from decision-making. Land grabs and ever-increasing dispossession of ancestral lands, territories and resources threatens their cultural and physical integrity, with indigenous women often the first ones to suffer. 


Many indigenous representatives in this hall today will continue to witness and experience such human rights violations. Everyone in this hall should work actively to combat them.


The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights accompanied and supported the process of drafting the Declaration. We are now equally committed, together with the mechanisms established by the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to accompanying and supporting efforts to fill the implementation gaps that remain wide and frequent. This is not only our intention but an obligation under Article 42 of the Declaration.


We must do this in the same spirit of partnership that gave birth to the Declaration, ensuring that indigenous peoples have not only a voice but true influence in the decision-making. We need to live up to the motto ‘nothing about us without us’. This must be the case at the national level but also in international processes, and good examples of this -- ranging from the work of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to the United Nations Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership -- need to be expanded and replicated. This spirit of partnership must also be built into the preparation and content of the forthcoming World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 2014.


Ladies and gentlemen,
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is a remarkable document, the global expression of the rights of indigenous peoples. It is also our shared tool. We should put it to a maximum use.


Today we should certainly commemorate the achievements made so far but we should also look at the many challenges ahead. It is thus important to use this 5th anniversary to renew our commitment to the implementation of the Declaration so that in five years when we gather to mark the 10th anniversary we may celebrate the increased impact that it has had in the daily lives of indigenous peoples around the world.  Let us breathe life into this Declaration and carry it forward into a new era of hope and justice for indigenous peoples throughout the world.


Thank you.

FPCI Recomendaciones del Foro Permanente

Naciones Unidas E/C.19/2012/L.2
Consejo Económico y Social

10 de mayo de 2012
Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas
11o período de sesiones
Nueva York, 7 a 18 de mayo de 2012

Tema 3 del programa provisional*
Debate sobre el tema especial para el año:
“La doctrina del descubrimiento: su repercusión duradera en los pueblos indígenas y el derecho a recibir reparación por conquistas del pasado (artículos 28 y 37 de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas)”

Recomendaciones del Foro Permanente

1.   El Foro Permanente recuerda el cuarto párrafo del preámbulo de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas en que se afirma que todas las doctrinas, políticas y prácticas basadas en la superioridad de determinados pueblos o individuos o que la propugnan aduciendo razones de origen nacional o diferencias raciales, religiosas, étnicas o culturales son racistas, científicamente falsas, jurídicamente inválidas, moralmente condenables y socialmente injustas. En todo el mundo, los colonizadores han aducido justificaciones jurídicas y políticas para desposeer a los pueblos indígenas de sus tierras, privarlos de derechos y derogar sus derechos, como, por ejemplo, la doctrina del descubrimiento, la doctrina de la dominación, la “conquista”, la doctrina de terra nullíus o la doctrina real. Si bien estas doctrinas nefandas se favorecieron para justificar la adquisición de las tierras y los territorios de los pueblos indígenas, implícito en ellas había postulados más amplios que se tomaron como base para afirmar la autoridad y el control sobre las vidas de los pueblos indígenas y sus tierras, territorios y recursos. Los colonizadores consideraron a los pueblos indígenas “salvajes”, “bárbaros”, “poco evolucionados”, “inferiores e incivilizados” y usaron estos conceptos para someter, dominar y explotar a los pueblos indígenas y sus tierras, territorios y recursos.
 

2.   Las manifestaciones actuales de estas doctrinas son evidentes en las comunidades indígenas en ámbitos como la salud; el bienestar psicológico y social; la denegación de los derechos a la tierra y a los títulos de propiedad de la tierra; los recursos y los medicamentos; las formas conceptuales y conductuales de violencia contra la mujer indígena; el suicidio de los jóvenes; y la desesperanza de muchas personas pertenecientes a pueblos indígenas, en particular los jóvenes.
 

3.   Otra manifestación actual de las doctrinas de desposeimiento es el concepto de la supresión, presente en reglamentos, políticas y decisiones de los tribunales en que los Estados han supuestamente “suprimido” los derechos de los pueblos indígenas a sus tierras, territorios y recursos, su derecho a la libre determinación, sus idiomas, religiones e incluso sus identidades y su existencia utilizando para ello la noción de “reconocimiento”, es decir reconociendo a algunos indígenas y a otros no. La “supresión”, en el contexto de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas a tierras, territorios y recursos, es incompatible con el entendimiento actual del derecho internacional y, específicamente, con la norma imperativa que establece la prohibición absoluta de la discriminación racial. Ningún otros pueblo del mundo vive sometido a la amenaza de que se “supriman” sus derechos.
 

4.   El artículo 26 de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, la jurisprudencia de los órganos creados en virtud de tratados y la jurisprudencia de todas las principales instituciones internacionales de derechos humanos confirman que los pueblos indígenas tienen derechos colectivos a las tierras, territorios y recursos que tradicionalmente han poseído, ocupado o utilizado de cualquier otra forma, y que deben respetarse sus costumbres, tradiciones y sistemas de tenencia de la tierra. Estos derechos tienen el mismo carácter jurídico que todos los demás derechos de propiedad sobre las tierras, territorios y recursos.  Los Estados ya no pueden aducir interpretaciones jurídicas positivistas de leyes adoptadas en una época en que doctrinas como la de terra nullius eran la norma.  El derecho internacional de los derechos humanos, incluidas las normas en materia de igualdad y no discriminación, como las que figuran en la Convención Internacional sobre la Eliminación de todas las Formas de Discriminación Racial y la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, exige que los Estados rectifiquen los errores causados en el pasado por estas doctrinas, incluida la violación de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas a la tierra, mediante reformas jurídicas y normativas, la restitución y otras formas de reparación por la violación de sus derechos con respecto a las tierras, incluidas las señaladas en los artículos 27 y 28 de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas.
 

5.   En su 10o período de sesiones, el Foro Permanente hizo hincapié en que la redefinición de la relación entre los pueblos indígenas y el Estado constituía un instrumento importante para comprender la doctrina del descubrimiento y para concebir una visión de futuro para la reconciliación, la paz y la justicia. Para ello, la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas proporciona un marco sólido de derechos humanos y normas para rectificar estas doctrinas falsas, en particular en los artículos 3, 28 y 37. El Foro Permanente alienta a llevar a cabo procesos de reconciliación “con arreglo a los principios de la justicia, la democracia, el respeto de los derechos humanos, la igualdad, la no discriminación, la buena gobernanza y la buena fe” .
 

6.   El Foro Permanente recomienda que los Estados incluyan en todos los programas de educación, en particular en el sistema escolar, un debate sobre la doctrina del descubrimiento y el desposeimiento y sus manifestaciones contemporáneas, como las leyes de tierras y las políticas de desplazamientos.
 

7.   El Foro Permanente acoge con beneplácito la recomendación de establecer un mecanismo internacional de carácter voluntario para recibir y examinar las comunicaciones de los pueblos indígenas, especialmente en relación con la reclamación de sus derechos a las tierras, territorios y recursos que tradicionalmente han poseído, ocupado o utilizado o adquirido de cualquier otra forma, o la violación de estos derechos. Los pueblos indígenas y otros interesados deberían formular esta recomendación más detalladamente. El Foro toma nota del mandato del Relator Especial sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas a este respecto.
 

8. El Foro Permanente recomienda que los Estados y el sistema de las Naciones Unidas, y en particular las actividades del Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia (UNICEF) y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), adopten las perspectivas de los jóvenes indígenas en las políticas y los planes para la juventud en vigor, incluido el programa de acción quinquenal del Secretario General para hacer frente a los problemas de salud. Además, habría que centrarse claramente en los jóvenes indígenas mejorando la participación en la toma de decisiones e instituyendo e incluyendo servicios de salud mental para los jóvenes, no escatimando esfuerzos sobre todo en relación con el suicidio de jóvenes indígenas. Estudio sobre las constituciones nacionales
 

9. El Foro Permanente pone de relieve las actividades de los Estados que tienen establecidos o están llevando a cabo procesos de revisión constitucional para fortalecer las disposiciones constitucionales sobre derechos humanos, el pluriculturalismo y el pluralismo jurídico, entre otros temas, y además da la bienvenida a los Estados que se encuentran en medio de una reforma constitucional o de procesos de reforma permanentes. El Foro exhorta a todos los Estados que corresponda a que revisen y modifiquen sus constituciones y marcos jurídicos para reconocer integralmente los derechos humanos de los pueblos indígenas. El Foro recomienda que los pueblos indígenas determinen el proceso de revisión constitucional en los Estados Miembros.
 

10. El Foro Permanente insta a todos los Estados a velar por que sus instituciones y estructuras políticas no se utilicen para eximir al Estado de su responsabilidad de cumplir las obligaciones internacionales que le incumben en materia de derechos humanos en relación con los derechos de los pueblos indígenas.
 

11. El Foro Permanente exhorta a los Estados a velar por que sus constituciones garanticen la no discriminación racial. El término “discriminación racial” significa toda distinción, exclusión, restricción o preferencia por motivos de raza, color, ascendencia u origen nacional que tenga por objeto o por resultado anular o menoscabar el reconocimiento, goce o ejercicio, en igualdad de condiciones, de los derechos humanos y las libertades fundamentales en los ámbitos político, económico, social o cultural o en cualquier otra esfera de la vida pública. El Foro pide a los Estados que se adhieran a la norma imperativa de la prohibición absoluta de la discriminación racial, así como de toda otra forma de discriminación, incluidas la discriminación por género y la discriminación por edad.
 

Informe sobre el impacto que tienen los cambios en el uso de las tierras y el cambio climático en la gestión de las tierras de los criadores de renos indígenas
 

12.   El Foro Permanente recomienda que los organismos de las Naciones Unidas que se ocupan de la cuestión y los Estados Miembros en que viven pueblos criadores de renos apoyen los programas de capacitación y educación dirigidos a jóvenes y comunidades criadores de renos indígenas a fin de garantizar la sostenibilidad y resiliencia futuras de las sociedades y culturas árticas y subárticas que se dedican al pastoreo de renos en un contexto de cambio climático, cambios en el uso de la tierra y globalización.

### 

Link al UN PDF Español

UNPFII Urges Rejection of "Nefarious" Doctrine of Discovery


18 May 2012
Economic and Social Council
HR/5099

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Eleventh Session
15th Meeting (PM)

Concluding Session, Permanent Forum Says Impact of Racist ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ Endures Today, but Indigenous Rights Declaration Offers Framework for Redress


Adopts Report with 9 Consensus Texts,  Including Recommendations on Theme, 2014 World Conference, Intellectual Property, Food Sovereignty, Human Rights


Lamenting the enduring manifestations of the “Doctrine of Discovery” and other morally condemnable, socially unjust and racist policies used for centuries by colonizers as legal justification to disenfranchise indigenous peoples and seize their lands, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues today urged the rejection of such “nefarious” dogmas, and encouraged measures that would redefine relations between native and aboriginal peoples and the State based on justice.


As the Permanent Forum — the United Nations expert advisory body dealing with the human, economic and social rights of indigenous peoples — concluded its eleventh session, it approved a set of nine draft recommendations, highlighted by a text approved on the special theme, the ongoing impact of the Discovery Doctrine on indigenous peoples and the right redress (document E/C.19/2012/L.2).  That fifteenth century Christian principle was denounced throughout the session as the “shameful” root of all the discrimination and marginalization indigenous peoples faced today.


The Permanent Forum noted that, while such doctrines of domination and “conquest”, including terra nullis and the Regalian doctrine, were promoted as authority for land acquisition, they also encouraged despicable assumptions:  that indigenous peoples were “savages”, “barbarians”, “inferior and uncivilized,” among other constructs the colonizers used to subjugate, dominate and exploit the lands, territories and resources of native peoples.  According to the text, signs of such doctrines were still evident in indigenous communities, including in the areas of:  health; psychological and social well-being; conceptual and behavioural forms of violence against indigenous women; youth suicide; and the hopelessness that many indigenous peoples experience, in particular indigenous youth.


Noting that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, treaty body jurisprudence and case law from all major international human rights institutions confirmed that indigenous peoples hold collective rights to the lands, territories and resources that they had traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used, the Forum said that “such rights have the same legal status as all other property rights [and] States are no longer allowed to deploy positivist legal interpretations of laws adopted during an era when doctrines such as terra nullis were the norm”.  The Declaration also demanded that States rectify past wrongs caused by such doctrines through law and policy reform.


By its text, the Permanent Forum reiterated that redefining the relationship between indigenous peoples and the State was an important way to understand the discovery doctrines and to develop a vision of the future for reconciliation, peace and justice.  “To that end, [the Declaration] provides a strong human rights framework and standards for the redress of such false doctrines, notably in articles 3, 28 and 37,” the text states, also encouraging the conduct of the processes of reconciliation “in accordance with the principles of justice, democracy, and respect for human rights, equality, non-discrimination, good governance and good faith”.


In his closing remarks, Grand Chief Edward John, Chairman of the Forum, welcomed the adoption of the recommendations, saying it was indeed necessary to redress the many issues that had emerged over the years the doctrine had been in place.  There was a pressing need for indigenous peoples to rediscover and to celebrate their own cultures and heritage.  The challenge now was to enter a new area in which the effects of the doctrine of discovery did not continue to be felt by indigenous peoples in the countries in which they lived, he said.


The discussions throughout the session had highlighted that it was important for the Permanent Forum to continue to provide the space for discussion of such issues.  He also noted that the high-level event held yesterday to mark the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration had been “highly successful despite being bumped from the General Assembly Hall at the last minute”.  That Declaration was a reaffirmation of the collective rights of all indigenous peoples.


The other texts adopted by the Permanent Forum today touched on the topics it covered during its eleventh session, which opened at Headquarters on 7 May.  Along with the Doctrine of Discovery, the texts contained recommendations on human rights; food sovereignty; violence against indigenous women and girls; the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); arrangements for the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples; and emerging issues.  The recommendations were introduced and orally amended by Rapporteur Megan Davis.


Also approved were three draft decisions recommending the following:  that the Council decide to authorize a three-day expert group meeting on “Indigenous Youth:  identity, challenges and hope”; that the Council decide that the twelfth session of the Permanent Forum shall be held at Headquarters from 20 to 31 May 2013; and that the Council take note of the provisional agendas of the Permanent Forum’s eleventh and twelfth sessions.  They will be forwarded to the Economic and Social Council for final action.


Adopting a concise text on human rights matters (document E/C.19/2012/L.9), the Permanent Forum noted that, since the adoption of the Declaration five years ago, very few States had entered into effective dialogue or partnerships or undertaken adequate legal reforms to implement its tenets.  “Alarmed by ongoing human rights violations” the Forum’s members called on all States to bring an end to such violations and to recognize and respect the standards set out in the Declaration.  Urging all States to provide detailed implementation reports to the Forum, the experts recommended public education initiatives and best practices in respect of the Declaration.


Mindful of the human rights violations experienced by indigenous peoples, the experts encouraged States, in particular those in the Pacific region, to recognize and implement the basic fundamental rights articulated in the Declaration, particularly the right to self-determination.  Further, the Forum urged States to promote models for the health, social, legal and other sectors of indigenous communities and service providers to follow in implementing the Declaration.  It was recommended that the World Health Organization (WHO) revisit its report on social determinates of health to address the cultural determinates of health, such as land, language, ceremony, and identity, “which are essential for the health and well-being of indigenous peoples”.


In a wide-ranging text containing draft recommendations on the arrangements for the much-anticipated 2014 World Conference (document E/C.19/2012/L.5), the Permanent Forum emphasized that equal, direct and meaningful participation by indigenous peoples throughout all stages of the preparations for the Conference was essential “for the international community’s achievement of a constructive and comprehensive outcome which will genuinely improve the status and conditions of indigenous peoples worldwide”.  In that regard, the Forum welcomed the establishment of an international coordinating group and its efforts to realize such participation over the next two years of preparations.


It also welcomed the decision of the President of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly to appoint the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, Luis Alfonso de Alba, and the international representative of the Saami Parliament of Norway, John Henriksen, to conduct inclusive informal consultations on his behalf, with a view to determining the modalities for the World Conference, including substantive participation of indigenous peoples.  The Assembly President was also called on to share with Member States the suggestions and recommendations emanating from the Permanent Forum’s half-day dialogue, held on 14 May, on preparations for the World Conference (see Press Release HR/5092).


While calling on Member States to intensify their efforts to adopt arrangements for the Conference “as soon as possible and before the end of the sixty-sixth session”, the Permanent Forum goes on to recommend that the event consist of a two–day high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, as well as round tables and interactive dialogues and be co-chaired by representatives of Governments and indigenous peoples.  It should be held in September, ahead of the Assembly’s annual general debate, to encourage the highest level of political participation.  It was also recommended that a two-day thematic debate be convened ahead of the World Conference.


As for WIPO, and the work of that agency’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, the Permanent Forum adopted a text recommending that WIPO seek the participation of experts on international human rights law specifically concerning indigenous peoples, so they could provide input into the Committee’s substantive consultation process, especially regarding language and how indigenous peoples were characterized (document E/C.19/2012/l.4).


The Geneva-based Intergovernmental Committee is in the midst of text-based negotiations towards reaching agreement on an international legal instrument which would ensure the effective protection of traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, folklore and genetic resources.  The Permanent Forum, therefore, demanded that WIPO recognize and respect the applicability and relevance of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples “as a significant international human rights instrument” that must inform the Intergovernmental Committee process and the overall work of WIPO.


Expressing concern regarding the continued violence against indigenous women and girls, the Permanent Forum also adopted a text endorsing the report and recommendations of the international expert group meeting on combating that scourge (document E/C.19/2012/L.3) and requested that that report form part of the official documentation of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2013.  It further recommended that the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the bureau of the 2013 session of the Women’s Commission include indigenous women as experts on violence against women in planned interactive panels, and guarantee the participation of indigenous women in both the preparatory process and during the session.


The Permanent Forum also adopted a text that contained recommendations emanating from its half-day discussions on the right of indigenous peoples to food and food sovereignty, held on 14 May (document E/C.19/2012/L.10).  (See Press Release HR/5092.)  Noting that indigenous rights to food sovereignty were inextricably linked to the collective recognition of the rights to land and resources, and culture and social organization, the experts welcomed the legal reforms and policies carried out in some States to recognize those rights.


Noting also that the levels of hunger are often disproportionately higher in indigenous communities, the Permanent Forum encouraged States to take positive actions to facilitate that capacity of indigenous peoples to strengthen traditional food systems, through, among others, formally recognizing and demarcating indigenous territories to enable them to better carry out productive food activities.


Regarding its discussions on Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia (see Press Release HR/5091), the Permanent Forum approved another set of recommendations (document E/C.19/2012/L.10), noting that the peoples of those regions, though small in number, were among the world’s most ethnically diverse.  They faced myriad challenges, including low life expectancy and dispossession of their lands, and their languages were under serious threat of disappearing.  “One of the main challenges is that [they] do not have access to mechanisms to ensure the protection of their rights”, the Permanent Forum says, adding that those indigenous peoples, largely involved in reindeer herding, also needed to be more involved in local politics and decision-making on issues that involved them.


With those issues in mind, the experts recommended an increase in decision-making mechanisms for their participation in matters concerning land use and resources exploration and exploitation, and access to free legal advice regarding development issues.  They also urged the Governments in the region, including the Russian Federation, to “work in good faith with indigenous peoples for the unqualified endorsement and full implementation of the Declaration”.  Those Governments were also urged to implement other international instruments regarding indigenous land rights, including through recognizing reindeer herders’ use and management of grazing land and the use of necessary biological resources by hunters, fishers and foragers.


As to its future work, the Forum appointed several of its members to undertake studies or reviews in a number of areas relevant to its mandate.  Those include a study on the right to participation in decision-making processes of indigenous youth in the Nordic countries; a review of the World Bank’s operational policies on indigenous peoples to determine to what extent they respected the Declaration on Indigenous Rights; a study on the situation of indigenous peoples with disabilities; and a study on the impact of the mining boom upon indigenous peoples’ communities in Australia.  Also recommended was a study on the elaboration of an optional protocol to the Declaration.

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For information media • not an official record

Recommendations of the Permanent Forum

United Nations E/C.19/2012/L.2
Economic and Social Council
10 May 2012


Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Eleventh session
New York, 7-18 May 2012
Item 3 of the provisional agenda*


Discussion on the special theme for the year:
The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact on indigenous peoples and the
right to redress for past conquests 
(articles 28 and 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)”



Recommendations of the Permanent Forum


1. The Permanent Forum recalls the fourth preambular paragraph of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which affirms that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust.  Legal and political justification for the dispossession of indigenous peoples from their lands, their disenfranchisement and the abrogation of their rights such as the doctrine of discovery, the doctrine of domination, “conquest”, “discovery”, terra nullius or the Regalian doctrine were adopted by colonizers throughout the world. While these nefarious doctrines were promoted as the authority for the acquisition of the lands and territories of indigenous peoples, there were broader assumptions implicit in the doctrines, which became the basis for the assertion of authority and control over the lives of indigenous peoples and their lands, territories and resources.  Indigenous peoples were constructed as “savages”, “barbarians”, “backward” and “inferior and uncivilized” by the colonizers who used such constructs to subjugate, dominate and exploit indigenous peoples and their lands, territories and resources.


2.   The ongoing manifestations of such doctrines are evident in indigenous communities, including in the areas of: health; psychological and social well-being; denial of rights and titles to land, resources and medicines; conceptual and behavioural forms of violence against indigenous women; youth suicide; and the hopelessness that many indigenous peoples experience, in particular indigenous youth.


3.   Another ongoing manifestation of dispossession doctrines is the concept of extinguishment, found in the regulations, policies and court decisions in which States have purportedly “extinguished” the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources, their right to self-determination, their languages, religions and even their identities and existence through the notion of “recognition”, that is by recognizing some and not recognizing others as indigenous.  “Extinguishment”, in the context of indigenous peoples’ rights to lands, territories and resources is inconsistent with the contemporary understanding in international law, specifically the peremptory norm of the absolute prohibition against racial discrimination. No other peoples in the world are pressured to have their rights “extinguished”.


4.   Article 26 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, treaty body jurisprudence and case law from all major international human rights institutions confirm that indigenous peoples hold collective rights to the lands, territories and resources that they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used, and that respect for their customs, traditions and land tenure systems is owed to them. Such rights have the same legal status as all other property rights to lands, territories and resources. States are no longer allowed to deploy positivist legal interpretations of laws adopted during an era when doctrines such as terra nullius were the norm. International human rights law, including norms on equality and non-discrimination such as those affirmed in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, demand that States rectify past wrongs caused by such doctrines, including the violation of the land rights of indigenous peoples, through law and policy reform, restitution and other forms of redress for the violation of their land rights, including those referred to in articles 27 and 28 of the United Nations Declaration.


5.   During its tenth session, the Permanent Forum emphasized that redefining the relationship between indigenous peoples and the State as an important way to understand the doctrine of discovery and a way to develop a vision of the future for reconciliation, peace and justice. To that end, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a strong human rights framework and standards for the redress of such false doctrines, notably in articles 3, 28 and 37. The Permanent Forum encourages the conduct of the processes of reconciliation “in accordance with the principles of justice, democracy, and respect for human rights, equality, non-discrimination, good governance and good faith”.


6.   The Permanent Forum recommends that States include in all education curricula, in particular the school system, a discussion of the doctrine of discovery/dispossession and its contemporary manifestations, including land laws and policies of removal.


7.   The Permanent Forum welcomes the recommendation to establish a voluntary international mechanism to receive and consider communications from indigenous peoples specifically concerning their claims to, or violations of, their rights to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired. This recommendation deserves further elaboration by indigenous peoples and others concerned. The Forum takes note of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples in this regard.


8.   The Permanent Forum recommends that States and the United Nations system, with particular attention to the activities of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), introduce indigenous youth perspectives into existing youth policies and plans, including the five-year action agenda of the Secretary-General to address health issues. In addition, there should be a distinct focus on indigenous youth by improving participation in decision making and by introducing and including mental health services for young people, with particular efforts to address suicide among indigenous youth.


Study on national constitutions


9. The Permanent Forum highlights the activities of those States that have or are currently undertaking constitutional revision processes to strengthen constitutional provisions on human rights, pluriculturalism and juridical pluralism, among others, and also welcomes those States that are in the midst of ongoing constitutional revision or reform processes. The Forum calls upon all relevant States to review and revise their constitutions and legal frameworks to comprehensively recognize the human rights of indigenous peoples. The Forum recommends that the process of constitutional revision in Member States should be driven by indigenous peoples.


10. The Permanent Forum calls on all States to ensure that their political
institutions and structures are not used as a reason to relieve the State of its responsibility to implement international human rights obligations in relation to the rights of indigenous peoples.


11. The Permanent Forum calls on States to ensure that racial non-discrimination is guaranteed in their constitutions. The term “racial discrimination” means any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. The Forum calls on States to adhere to the peremptory norm and the absolute prohibition against racial discrimination as well as all other forms of discrimination, including gender and age.


Report on the impacts of land use change and climate change on indigenous reindeer herders land management


12. The Permanent Forum recommends that the relevant United Nations agencies and Member States with reindeer herding peoples support training and education programmes for indigenous reindeer herding youth and communities in order to secure the future sustainability and resilience of the Arctic and sub-Arctic indigenous pastoral reindeer herding societies and cultures in the face of climate change, land use change and globalization.

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

NAIP Caucus Statement: World Intellectual Property Organization

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World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)



Eleventh Session, United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

New York, 7-18 May 10,2012

Statement on Comprehensive Dialogue with the World Intellectual Property Organization

Agenda item 5

Greetings Mr. Chair, on behalf of the North American Indigenous peoples Caucus:

Imagine living in a world where the ownership of your specific genetic resources and cultural heritage is stripped away from you without your consent, as a commodity bought and sold for
profit, accepted in a similar way to property rights for land theft.  The Doctrine of Discovery and Domination set a foundation of targeted destruction, and the current trend of international policies and regulations is to use dominant world views to colonize the remaining, "unexplored" aspects of the natural world.  Leading Indigenous representatives continue to combat the piracy of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as they struggle to keep up with the fast-paced and costly negotiations of the international arena; whether we confront global issues of climate change-related disasters, the decline of peak oil production, water crisis, loss of biodiversity, or food security dilemmas that shape versions of development in the current state system, it is clear that empire, including the biocolonialism of WIPO, it undermines the survival needs of the world population and generations to come. 

Indigenous Nations and Peoples, rights, upheld at the international level, make it necessary to support collectively held knowledge, land and resource rights and, at the same time, acknowledge that these rights are inherent and inalienable. The basis for the rights for Indigenous Nations and peoples is the right to self determination combined with the right to free, prior and informed consent, with the purpose of benefiting Mother Earth and creation. If the issue of biocolonialism is to be resolved, then systems that set agendas to deny essential human rights from Indigenous Nations and peoples, including WIPO, must be invalidated.

The North American Indigenous peoples caucus recommends:

l. Delegates active in the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Intergovernmental committee (lGC) on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (GRTKF) provided an overview on the issues that have been occurring in the WIPO IGC meetings and processes that have undermined the rights and participation of Indigenous peoples, and are attempting to commodify and commercialize Indigenous knowledge, medicine, and other traditional practices.

2. On February 20,2012 nearly all of the Indigenous delegates in attendance decided to withdrawal from active participation in the WIPO negotiations because the right of Indigenous Peoples, as Peoples and Nations, to participate as equals in the negotiations continues to be denied. Indigenous Peoples have seen a continual process of diminishing Indigenous peoples, participation in key small working groups, and our text proposals require the support of at least one state to remain on the table. Without that support, Indigenous peoples, proposals are ignored. The single most significant demand by Indigenous Peoples is that WIPO amend its rules of procedure to ensure the full and equal participation of Indigenous Peoples in all processes that affect us. Until that change happens, we cannot conscientiously participate in a process that will continue to undermine the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and threaten our future generations.

3. Indigenous Peoples from across North America expressed their outrage at the current negotiations under the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee (lGC) on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore which fail to recognize Indigenous Rights, thereby forcing Indigenous Peoples to withdraw from the negotiations. They stressed that WIPO has no legitimacy and right to deal with issues related to traditional knowledge.

4. The NAIPC is concerned that there are a small number of Indigenous organizations, some state-funded, that appear willing to participate in the WIPO process.

5. The NAIPC recommends that WIPO be requested to use the proper term, 'Indigenous Peoples', since they are part of the UN inter-organ agency tasked with implementing the UNDRIP throughout the United Nations.

6. The NAIPC recommends that UNPFII make it make it clear to WIPO they do not have the support of Indigenous Peoples when they appear before the Permanent Forum through a clear, vocal and unanimous message.

7. The NAIPC calls on the UNPFII and the United Nations to investigate WIPO and its current negotiations under the IGC on issues of Indigenous Peoples participation and need to take into account Indigenous Peoples' rights to participation.

8. NAIPC recommends that the United Nations make it clear to WIPO that they cannot regulate indigenous traditional knowledge and access to such and associated genetic resources, and that those remain under the control of Indigenous Peoples.

9. NAIPC recommends that UNPFII and the United Nations call for dismantling the WIPO IGC negotiations and to instead mandate negotiations under UNPFII or the CBD to develop international mechanisms to protect indigenous systems for regulating access to traditional knowledge and genetic resources and protecting such.

10. The NAIPC recommends that research on Free Trade be done, including World Trade Agreements.

I l. The NAIPC recommends that alternative funding mechanisms be established so that the NAIPC can have representatives at the WIPO meetings to observe and report back on the matters taking place in WIPO.

12. The NAIPC calls upon the UNPFII to request that WIPO amend its rules of procedure to ensure the full and equal participation of Indigenous Peoples in all processes that are affecting them, and to ensure the full and equal participation of Indigenous Nations and Peoples in all the WIPO processes including the IGC, the General Assembly and Diplomatic Conference.

13. The NAIPC calls upon Indigenous Peoples to withdraw our active participation in the WIPO Processes on GRTKF until the States change the rules of procedure to permit our full and equal participation at all levels of the IGC and until the instruments recognize and are consistent with the existing international frameworks for the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples and Nations within the scope of the IGC.

14. The NAIPC recommends that Indigenous Nations and Peoples set their own legal standards for the protection of our traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and genetic resources, and the UN must inform WIPO that it must respect Indigenous Peoples' laws on these issues.



UNPFIP doCip Online Documentation Center

United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Peoples
11th Session May 7-18, 2012
00-Reference & related documents
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01-Opening session
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03-Discussion on the special theme for the year: The Doctrine of Discovery...
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04a-Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
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05-Comprehensive dialogue with United Nations agencies and funds
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06-Half-day discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples to food and food sovereignty
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08-Half-day discussion on Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia