On the second day of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Population in Geneva, indigenous leaders, NGO representatives and human rights experts debated the main theme of the weeklong conference, Conflict Resolution.

The morning session began with the continuation of agenda item 4(a) General Debate, which took longer than anticipated. The discussion moved on to agenda point 4(b), the main theme, Indigenous People And Conflict Resolution.

WGIP Chairman Miguel Alfonso Martinez opened this agenda point by presenting his paper on conflict resolution. Participants where then invited to comment on this paper and point out suggestions based on their experiences with conflict resolution.

Mr. Martinez’s main recommendation is: indigenous groups and state governments should work together on the resolution of conflicts on a more equitable basis. Furthermore he states that a territorial basis is at the roots of self-determination.

“I think it is very difficult that anyone can have idea of self-determination without territorial basis,” said Mr. Martinez. “I started my description on land and resources and then to self-determination. This is the logical consequence.”

A major conclusion of the paper is that appropriate approaches to conflict resolution and equitable solutions to conflict are best served by being based on the informed, freely expressed consent of all parties concerned.

In their statements, some indigenous representatives expressed disappointment that the traditional systems that have long worked in their societies are ignored by the state government.

Although some participants drifted away from the main theme, trying to emphasize the history of the conflict affecting them, some useful points where put forward. Most participants see the solution in more traditional forms of conflict resolution instead of the government-biased judicial system.

“Pygmies use traditional methods. They resort to customary authority where mediation leads to solutions,” said Ms. Pacifique Makumpa-Isumbisho of the pygmies of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ms. Françoise Hampson, a member of WGIP and a human rights expert, supported this belief in her state. “Disagreements of any kind should be solved in their own system for conflict,” she said.

In Colombia, there is a long history of indigenous legal systems and language set apart from the Columbian mainstream. “There are still problems with the state justice system. We are concerned about the injustices that persist. The high court of the country has been called upon to set up indigenous judges, nevertheless we are waiting to see this be applied,” said Luzmila Amaya Curvelo, staff member of the Columbian NGO Akuaipa Waimakat Guajina.

Further statements on this agenda point where made throughout the day and continued throughout the larger part of Wednesday, the third conference day.

On the agenda for Wednesday was a special breakout session to finalize the recommendations on conflict resolution put forth in the general debate. At the meetings conclusion Mr. Martinez collected written statements that are intended to convey the participants concerns to the superior human rights bodies.

In the afternoon session, the Working Group proceeded to agenda item 4(c), Globalization And Indigenous Peoples. Mr. El Hadji Guissé initiated the debate with a speech whose thrust was the inequality that globalization produces.

“Globalization is yet another form of exploitation that excludes certain groups of people. Some of them do not have the possibility of being actors in this capacity and indigenous people are excluded from the process,” he said.

Mr. Guissé is concerned with the way that governments and multinational corporations make agreements to extract natural resources from indigenous lands.

After the speech the participants where asked to address the point of globalization. It proved that Mr. Guissé’s concerns are widely shared by the indigenous people. Mr. Karim Abdian from Ahwaz (Iran) illustrated this by giving an example of the Iranian government expropriating sacred Ahwazi territory for the extraction of oil.

The second session of day three concluded with agenda point 5(b) Review Of The Draft Principles And Guidelines On The Protection Of The Heritage Of Indigenous Peoples. Due to the lack of time this agenda point could only be briefly addressed and will continue on the fourth day.