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Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Third Session

12th & 13th Meetings (AM & PM)

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS COULD HELP INDIGENOUS PEOPLE SURVIVE OR DESTROY THEM COMPLETELY, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY WERE MANAGED, PERMANENT FORUM TOLD

As the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues began its discussion of economic and social development, as well as the environment, speakers stressed that development projects could either help indigenous peoples survive or destroy them and their cultural heritage, depending on how they were managed.

A representative of the Saami Council and Inuit Circumpolar Conference noted that such projects had so far failed to consider indigenous priorities, underscoring the urgent need to evaluate and monitor the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples. Similarly, a representative of the Innu Council of Nitassinan emphasized that indigenous peoples needed a greater share of their lands and resources to avoid the threat of economic, social and cultural extinction.

Forum Chairperson Ole Henrik Magga observed that the international community had to be repeatedly reminded of the reason indigenous peoples remained poor and marginalized, namely, that they were still denied the right to control their own destinies and resources. Indigenous peoples with those assets intact did not consider themselves poor, he noted, as they had ecological capital, even though they might not have a cash economy. Poverty, on the other hand, denied people of territory and resources.

Also contributing to the dialogue were several United Nations agencies, who highlighted projects they were carrying out to protect indigenous lands and resources. A representative of the Inter-American Development Bank emphasized that sustainable development must recognize the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples and respect their culture. The Bank’s new policies to promote and protect indigenous development would aim to expand traditional territorial space and reduce discrimination in labour and financial markets, among other things.

A representative of the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information described the new “Education Outreach” section for children and youth. Department initiatives included the “Pumped Up for Peace” project, which was aimed at three indigenous groups in the Amazon rainforest facing difficulties from contaminated water supplies. Also, through the Department’s Cyberschoolbus, children in schools worldwide had learned about the project and were now helping to build water treatment facilities for those communities.

During the discussion on economic and social development, speakers made a number of recommendations to specific United Nations agencies, including that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assist with capacity-building for small business development; that the World Bank provide training in the small grant programme; and that UNDP work with indigenous peoples in compiling inventories of their resource bases. It was also suggested that financial organs linked with development adopt monitoring mechanisms to combat corruption in development projects.

Other participants highlighted national successes and drawbacks on the road to indigenous socio-economic development. New Zealand’s delegate noted that Maori women had played a significant role in development, and in the linguistic and cultural renaissance of the Maori community. However, they had yet to experience the same economic, health and educational achievements as non-Maori women, and were twice as likely to be long-term unemployed.

During the environmental discussion, speakers noted that indigenous territories coincided with the areas of highest biological diversity in the world, but stressed that that diversity was now severely threatened by global warming, globalization and commercial overexploitation. Others urged States to protect the environment from destruction by international and national corporations, and to deny companies mining concessions in indigenous territories.

Addressing developmental threats to the environment, a representative of the Convention on Biological Diversity said that guidelines had recently been approved to ensure respect for indigenous groups’ rights on their sacred sites. Moreover, the decision to negotiate an international regime on access to genetic resources, which was closely linked to the protection of traditional knowledge, and on sharing their benefits would greatly benefit indigenous peoples.

The Forum will reconvene at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 19 May, to begin its consideration of health.

Background

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues met today to begin its consideration of socio-economic development and of environment. (For background information, please see Press Release HR/4741 of 4 May.)

Discussion on Human Rights

As the Permanent Forum concluded its consideration of human rights this morning, a representative of the International Indian Treaty Council said that the International Decade for Indigenous People had clearly not been meant to address the problems faced by indigenous peoples for only 10 years. Instead, it should have promoted the recognition that indigenous peoples had the right to participate in United Nations bodies and agencies in all areas affecting their lives. In the realm of socio-economic development, which was very important to indigenous groups, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) should organize a regional consultation for the Americas to include participants from FAO, the focal points on indigenous issues and indigenous peoples themselves.

Moreover, the internal system of focal points for indigenous issues should be strengthened and a work plan for indigenous priorities should be developed. The FAO should also sponsor an international conference on indigenous peoples, food security and food sovereignty. Finally, the regional focal points system should be replicated by other United Nations agencies and programmes in order to support true and effective participation by indigenous peoples in the United Nations system.

An indigenous representative from Canada drew attention to new policy agreements being pushed through by the Canadian Government, stating that they constituted an infringement on indigenous groups’ sovereignty. Among other negative effects, community elders and children had suffered from conflict caused among indigenous people, while others had been banished from indigenous territories by courts or wrongfully charged by them due to the threat of invasion of indigenous territory by the Canadian mounted police. The new policing agreements constituted a violation of indigenous groups’ basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Canadian Government’s use of referendums to force their laws on indigenous territories contradicted traditional consensus-based legal systems.

Panel on Economic and Social Development

OLE HENRIK MAGGA, Forum Chairperson, introducing the discussion, noted that development was not universally defined. Some saw it as a process of economic growth, while others saw it as a process that enhanced the freedom of people to pursue what they valued, enlarging their choices. The latter understanding of development was more in line with the indigenous perception, and other concepts linked to development, such as poverty, must be seen against that background. Pointing out that poverty had a cultural context, he said that indigenous peoples with access to their lands did not consider themselves poor. Even if they had no access to a cash economy, they possessed ecological capital, while poverty denied people of their basic human rights, territory and resources.

Given that indigenous peoples often were poor and marginalized, he said the world community must be reminded again and again of the reason for that -– namely, that they continued to be denied the right to determine their own destinies and control their resources. If the international community wished to cure poverty, they had to analyse its cause, as well as remove the symptoms. Stressing the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, he said the Forum must contribute to their implementation as they related to indigenous peoples.

He then turned to the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples, a parallel event to the World Summit on the Information Society, which had gathered together
286 representatives of Member States, government departments, United Nations bodies, the private sector, and indigenous and non-governmental organizations. The Forum had examined both potentials and obstacles to the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in the information society. Obstacles included lack of basic community infrastructure, limited access to modern technology and the urgent need for gender- and age-sensitive capacity-building. Potentials included access to new marketplaces, increased indigenous networking, new strategies to revitalize and pass on culture and languages, and the opportunity to fully participate in the new information and connectivity revolution.

Forum member ANTONIO JACANAMIJOY noted that the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) had recognized the vital role of indigenous peoples in sustainable development. It had recognized the need for indigenous peoples to participate in planning, implementation and assessment of rural development programmes. Governments were urged to adopt policies and measures to meet the needs of indigenous peoples in the global process. The Summit had recommended that the United Nations system report on progress in the field, and that the World Bank work on pending issues, especially those pertaining to customary law, human rights instruments and the right to free, prior and informed consent. Two years after those and other recommendations were made, the Forum had received reports from United Nations agencies showing significant signs of implementation. He called on representatives of indigenous peoples to endorse those recommendations, and for United Nations bodies to produce outlines of projects for indigenous peoples.

NOELEEN HEYZER, Executive Director of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), said the leadership of indigenous women was critical in achieving the Millennium Goals. Pointing to the challenges they currently faced, she noted that indigenous women were overrepresented among the world’s poor; rarely represented in decision-making process affecting their communities; and subjected to high gender-based violence. They also increasingly formed part of the swelling streams of migration worldwide. Through networks of family and community members, such women left their homes as young girls and traveled to cities in search of work in assembly plants, or as domestic servants, moving into the impoverished settlements on the edges of cities, or to other countries. Typically, they worked extremely long hours, with very low wages. They often found themselves stuck at the bottom of a hierarchy of exploitation, which left them vulnerable to violence and trafficking.

The conditions migrant indigenous women left behind were little better, she noted. Girls took on household responsibilities at an early age and were expected to marry while still in their teens. The poverty and isolation of many indigenous communities left women especially vulnerable to domestic violence, including physical, sexual and psychological abuse. The situation had intensified with globalization. Land rights, once held by the community, were increasingly conferred upon families and individuals, who were free to sell to the highest bidder -– and women could end up with nothing.

At the same time, lacking education and skills, women were unable to take advantage of new employment opportunities offered by the global economy, she added. Such trends gave rise to the growing concern that the benefits of globalization would go only to those whose knowledge and skills were valued in today’s global marketplace, accentuating existing social and gender inequalities.

JOHAN OLSEN, Minister of Industry, Agriculture and Labour Markets, Greenland Home Rule Government, speaking on behalf of Denmark and Greenland, said the challenges Greenland faced included its dependence on Denmark, and the dependence of its economy on fish product exports. However, it had invested heavily in infrastructure, and the challenge was now to combine that with modern telecommunication and information technology. To promote economic development, Greenland must explore ways of producing products other than fish. Over the past few years, it had managed to shift away to other development strategies, and modernize companies taken over from Denmark in 1979. It had created the best possible conditions for local enterprises so that the business sector would find success and create long-term employment. Good governance was necessary for economic development, he said, adding that Greenland had recently adopted legislation promoting gender equality in company management.

Discussion

A representative of the Pacific Caucus recommended that the Forum request the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to take on small business capacity-building for small business development; request the World Bank to train indigenous peoples on accessing the account for the small-grant programme; and urge the UNDP to work with indigenous peoples in compiling inventories of their resource bases.

Canada’s delegate recommended that the United Nations system, governments and the private sector include indigenous peoples in decisions, policies and strategies affecting them; adopt multidimensional and flexible strategies to assist indigenous peoples; and continue advocating for indigenous connectivity in the information society. Canada was now working to set up an integrated and multidimensional approach to promote the social development of indigenous communities and to coordinate the initiatives, resources and capacities of all.

A representative of the Innu Council of Nitassinan noted that one of the major components of indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination was the right to freely dispose of their wealth and natural resources, and their right not to be deprived of the means for subsistence. Without a greater share of their lands and resources, indigenous peoples would be unable to develop their communities to achieve self-sufficiency, and would be pushed to the edge of economic, social and cultural extinction. Also noting the lack of representation from the World Trade Organization (WTO), he said that, given the impact of trade agreements on indigenous daily life, the WTO should explain its strategies and policies, if any, regarding indigenous peoples.

Echoing that sentiment, the representative of the Saami Council and Inuit Circumpolar Conference said the economic development of lands and waters -- and their related social aspects -- lay at the heart of what it meant to be indigenous. Development could either help indigenous peoples to survive or destroy them, depending on how it was managed. Therefore, he noted with concern that development processes had failed to take indigenous priorities into account. A mechanism for the evaluation and monitoring of the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples in development projects should be established.

Other indigenous delegates recommended that United Nations organizations provide necessary structural support to indigenous peoples in the Caribbean and promote a strategic framework for regional indigenous development; that former colonial countries, as the source of much suffering in the Caribbean region, should provide for reparation and compensation to redress the damage they had caused; that States and the Bretton Woods institutions work with indigenous groups to promote their development and to manage human resources to create sustainable development; that United Nations agencies and States report to the Permanent Forum on the situation of indigenous internally displaced persons and mobilize funds and projects to facilitate their participation in return and rehabilitation programmes; and that the World Bank and the UNDP, among others, facilitate and document economic and social development systems for indigenous youth.

Among situations to which the Forum’s attention was specifically drawn were those of the indigenous people of Bangladesh and the indigenous people of North Africa. The Governments of Bangladesh, Algeria, Mali and Niger were all urged to improve their treatment of indigenous populations and to ensure their socio-economic development.

Highlighting national efforts for indigenous socio-economic development, New Zealand’s representative said that Maori women had played a significant role in the economic development of the indigenous community in the country, as well as the linguistic and cultural renaissance of the Maori community. However, they had yet to experience the same economic, health and educational achievements of non-Maori women and were twice as likely to be long-term unemployed. The development of increased opportunities for Maori women to participate in economic and social sectors constituted part of the national plan to enhance indigenous rights.

Additionally, the representative of Mexico said there should be a focus on generating joint responsibility for and management of common indigenous issues at the international level. There was also a need to promote an exchange of indigenous experiences and to establish programmes to facilitate inter-agency approaches to resolution of indigenous problems, among other priorities. It was also suggested that the Permanent Forum strengthen its working relationship with all other forums in which migration was discussed and focus on migration as the theme of next year’s session.

A number of United Nations agencies and other international bodies also addressed the Forum this morning, including a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who said the organization’s work over the past year had reflected its shift to promoting action on the ground. Among the initiatives designed to promote indigenous development were a set of regional workshops, to be held in 2004, to engage indigenous peoples in the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, within the context of the Equator Initiative. Three pilot programmes had also been established for indigenous development, but overall, programmes aimed at indigenous development required further advocacy and support.

A representative of the Outreach Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information noted the recent creation of the “Education Outreach” section, which aimed at information sharing with children and youth. Among the Department’s initiatives to raise awareness of indigenous issues, it had established the “Pumped Up for Peace” project, which involved three indigenous groups in the Amazon rainforest who faced difficult conditions due to contaminated water supplies. Through the Department’s Cyberschoolbus, children in schools around the world had learned about the project and were now getting involved to help build water treatment facilities for those communities.

The International Labour Organization’s delegate acknowledged that economic and social development was a key issue for indigenous and tribal peoples, who were marginalized in almost every aspect of their daily lives and faced increasing poverty, ill-health and discrimination. Failure in earlier eras of economic reform and adjustment showed that the ability to develop required the integration of social, political and economic dimensions in public policy. The social and economic development agenda must be rights-based, especially in consideration of indigenous and tribal peoples. Experience also showed that effective consultations with indigenous and tribal peoples were key to the effective functioning of any plans and programmes affecting them. Indigenous peoples and poverty was proposed as the theme of a future session of the Forum.

The representative of the Inter-American Development Bank said that, even though indigenous women suffered from a threefold form of exclusion, they had made an extraordinary contribution to the economies of member countries of the Bank. Indigenous women demonstrated day by day that sustainable development could only be achieved if it was based on the recognition of fundamental rights and respect for indigenous culture. With its development of a new strategic framework and operational policy for indigenous development, the Bank aimed to promote the development of indigenous peoples and safeguard their priorities within the Bank’s policies and projects. Among the new foci of the policy rethinking, there was recognition of the need to expand the traditional territorial space, to reduce discrimination in labour and financial markets and to strengthen the intercultural economy. The gender perspective would be included in all those areas.

The World Bank’s delegate said that lessons learned demonstrated the necessity of linking economic and social development for indigenous peoples. The World Bank had crafted a vision of social development and worked actively to create and earmark funds for projects specifically benefiting indigenous peoples. Governments should recognize that the development of indigenous peoples was essential to the development of their own countries. Finally, it was recognized that, given the long history of distrust by indigenous peoples, the Bank must prove its commitment to their development.

A Forum member noted that recommendations were needed to combat corruption in development projects. Financial organs connected with development should adopt administrative and monitoring mechanisms to avoid such corruption.

A representative of Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indígenas recommended that governments include projects that benefited indigenous women in their development policies, and that indigenous women participate in the planning, management, and administration of projects in indigenous territories. In addition, indigenous peoples should have access to information on public budgets, so that public activity could be properly monitored; a specific fund should be created to finance and support the political participation of indigenous leaders; United Nations bodies should strengthen development options of indigenous women; and funding should be provided for all initiatives promoting cultural identity.

Highlighting the special problems of indigenous peoples in the Andes, a representative of the Transnational Radical Party said the eradication of coca farming had had a tragic impact on health and the environment. The plan for alternative crops had been a good one, he said, but ineffective in the long-term. The usual alternative crops were palm hearts, but prices for those crops had greatly decreased in recent years. The United Nations should integrate in its development projects a plan to reduce the growing of narcotic crops.

Other speakers recommended that United Nations bodies implement development policies respecting the rights of indigenous peoples; that the Forum seek mechanisms to protect traditional knowledge from unauthorized commercialization; that governments regulate industrial activity on indigenous lands; and that governments support employment in indigenous areas.

Italy’s delegate stressed that the reduction of cultural diversity and the growth of uniformity should be a cause for alarm, since it led to the loss of skills and knowledge that were vital for sustainable development. In Italy, traditional food produced with traditional raw materials was protected and promoted by European Union legislation.

Discussion on Environment

As the Permanent Forum this afternoon took up its consideration of environment, PETER R. JANUS, Senior Programme Officer, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said that civil society activities provided opportunities for collaboration in the work of international organization such as the UNEP. The link between human well-being and the environment informed all UNEP’s work, but was especially acute in the case of indigenous peoples. In the particular case of indigenous populations, UNEP had paid much attention to poverty and sustainable environments, to making livelihoods more productive and environmentally sustainable.

Regarding women and the environment, UNEP had focused on the role of women in poverty reduction and noted that although, at the international level, women’s role in environmental development had theoretically been recognized, on the ground that role continued to be deemed informal and without significance. The UNEP itself planned to launch a new publication on women and the environment. With regard to youth and the environment, UNEP had developed global and regional initiatives, networks and activities to involve children and youth in that sphere, and had encouraged their participation in Governing Council sessions and in the development of global and regional environmental reports.

A representative of the Iroquois and Allied Nations said that First Nations in Canada had exhausted all available resources in their attempts to negotiate with that country and now requested international intervention on Canada’s land claims policy. The Permanent Forum should request Canada to suspend activities regarding the land-claims policy and restart government-to-government dialogue with Canadian first nations.

One member of the Forum said that all life, including human life, depended on the services rendered by the natural environment. Yet biological diversity was under threat from phenomena such as global warming, globalization and commercial overexploitation. Indigenous peoples bore great responsibility for the protection of the environment due to their traditional, close relationship with the environment. Indigenous territories coincided with the areas of highest biological diversity in the world.

Myanmar’s representative said land, water and forests were crucial to all, but even more so to indigenous peoples whose spiritual needs were bound up in those natural resources. Her country had a significant portion of the world’s teak trees and had managed those forests through a government plan aimed at ensuring that Myanmar remained green in generations to come. Looking after the environment in such a manner guaranteed the well-being of all of Myanmar’s population, including its indigenous groups.

OLIVIER JALBERT, Principal Officer in the Social, Economics and Legal Matters Programme of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said that the secretariat welcomed the contributions of States and indigenous groups in its activities aimed at the protection of traditional knowledge. With regard to the impact of development on sites sacred to indigenous peoples, he said guidelines had recently been approved to ensure respect for indigenous groups’ rights. The secretariat had established a trust fund to facilitate the participation of indigenous groups in its work. It had also made progress with regard to past recommendations of the Permanent Forum. Furthermore, the decision to negotiate an international regime on access to genetic resources and on sharing their benefits would be of great importance to indigenous peoples. The negotiation of such a regime was closely related to the protection of traditional knowledge.

The representative of the International Indian Treaty Council said the environment continued to be an area for the Forum’s consideration, which if not adequately addressed could have far-reaching, negative impacts on indigenous peoples’ well-being. The Permanent Forum should urge all parties to participate in the 2005 meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which would focus on water resources; invite the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights to sponsor an international consultation on indigenous peoples and climate change; and recommend that the parties to the Stockholm Convention ensure the participation of indigenous groups in their activities.

ANNE KERR, Chief of Programme Coordination in the Major Groups and Partnerships Branch of the Division for Sustainable Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said that many of the mandated issues of the Permanent Forum were addressed by the Commission on Sustainable Development in their sustainable development aspect. Among the issues taken up in the Commission’s most recent session of greatest concern to indigenous groups were: water resources, including integrated management and rights-based approaches to water; sanitation; and human settlements. Indigenous people should take every opportunity to participate in the Commission’s work, including in preparations for its next session, which were already under way.

A representative of the Caribbean Antilles Indigenous People’s Caucus recommended that United Nations bodies help in creating and implementing sound environmental protection policies and programmes in the vulnerable islands of Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia.

Guatemala’s delegate recommended that the Forum urge States to protect the environment from destruction by corporations; that indigenous peoples be invited to participate in environmental forums regarding the use of mercury; that States review and change legal frameworks to ensure that indigenous women had access to legal recourse; and that relevant United Nations agencies urge States not to grant mining concessions in indigenous territories.

Other participants recommended that the Forum form a task force to elaborate on issues and recommendations in environmental forums, to cut down on the increasing demand for indigenous peoples to attend them. Such a task force would allow for wider consultation. They also recommended that agencies develop a framework for acceptable environmental behaviour.

A representative of the Union of British Columbian Indian Chiefs said that indigenous women were the main connection between families and traditional activities that provided food, medicine and values. Traditional knowledge was the base of the entire environmental protection movement, and indigenous peoples were its monitors.

Addressing the principle of free, prior and informed consent, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), recounting the results of a questionnaire, said no United Nations agency had adopted a formal definition of the principle, but that it was understood and applied through the Organization’s legal instruments. The United Nations system had been involved in a range of activities to better understand the application of free, informed and prior consent vis-à-vis indigenous peoples. Activities had included consultations, workshops, panel discussions and the commissioning of work. The principle had been incorporated in policy and conventions in varying degrees.

A representative of the Saami Council and Inuit Circumpolar Conference said the Permanent Forum should ensure meaningful indigenous participation in the Stockholm Forum. The phenomenon of climate change would have a major impact on the Arctic region as the depletion of summer sea-ice to a small circle around the North Pole could lead to the extinction of many species upon which Arctic indigenous people depended, as well as the disruption of ocean currents. Yet, despite the fact that some small island States would soon sink into the ocean and the threat to Arctic indigenous populations, the ramifications of climate change were being ignored. The Permanent Forum should support the establishment of a working group on indigenous peoples and climate change and ensure indigenous participation in that working group and in the follow-up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Regarding the Convention on Biological Diversity, indigenous representatives said the Permanent Forum should ensure the full and active participation of indigenous peoples and their organizations within the work of the Convention in support of the maintenance of traditional knowledge. The secretariat of the Convention should give support to training and the exchange of information, and allow indigenous peoples to develop their own position on issues under discussion.

However, an indigenous representative from Hawaii said that westernized intellectual property rights were being foisted upon the traditional cultural knowledge and practices of Hawaiian peoples, who regarded such acts as cultural piracy. The Permanent Forum and other United Nations bodies were reminded that they did not have the right to redefine the identity of indigenous peoples, who reserved the sole right to define themselves and their cultural and territorial heritage.

Other indigenous representatives encouraged the Forum to urge the World Bank, Inter-American Bank and others to adopt a truly genuine and transparent policy with regard to indigenous people and the environment; to recommend that the Economic and Social Council undertake an investigation of indigenous people and natural resources; and to support the review conference on small island developing States in Mauritius, given continued exploitation of indigenous territory throughout the Pacific.

On specific concerns, the representative of Haudenosaunne Ska-Roh-Reh said that heavy metals and radioactive material had been deposited on indigenous lands with devastating effects on the health of indigenous populations. Other indigenous representatives drew attention to the impact of deforestation on the Pygmy population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to the impact of pollution on the Khmer Kamphuchea Krom of Viet Nam.

Finally, the UNDP’s representative acknowledged that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals required paying particular attention to the situation of indigenous peoples. Through its initiatives, the UNDP supported many projects carried out within indigenous communities. The United Nations Development Group had also decided to make indigenous issues a priority in the future year’s activities. That constituted a huge opportunity for indigenous peoples to raise awareness of their priorities. The UNDP would continue to use its country-level presence to bring home the importance of working with indigenous peoples.

Source: UN