By Olayemi Esan with Agency Report
UN
Secretary-General António Guterres said, although some countries have
begun to rectify their “heinous legacy” of discrimination against
indigenous people, more action is still needed.
In his message
marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the UN
chief called for ending the “grievous inequalities” affecting these
communities.
“Indigenous peoples around the world continue to face overwhelming marginalisation, discrimination, and exclusion.
“Rooted
in colonialism and patriarchy, these profound disparities are sustained
by a deeply held resistance to recognising and respecting the rights,
dignity, and freedoms of indigenous peoples,” he said.
According to
him, there are more than 476 million indigenous living in some 90
countries worldwide, representing just over six percent of the global
population.
They have a special relationship with their lands and
reflect a vast diversity of unique cultures, traditions, languages, and
knowledge systems.
The secretary-general recalled that throughout
modern history, indigenous people had been robbed of their lands and
territories, and much more. In some cases, they have been robbed of
their own children.
Some have also been stripped of political and
economic autonomy, while their cultures and languages have been
“denigrated and extinguished”.
Guterres noted that in recent months,
the world had again learned about some of the horrors indigenous
communities faced at the hands of colonisers.
“Some nations have
begun to address this heinous legacy through apologies, truth and
reconciliation efforts, and legislative and constitutional reforms. But
much more needs to be done.
“We need a new social contract – one
that restores and honours the rights, dignity, and freedoms of those who
have been deprived of so much for so long. Central to this must be
genuine dialogue, interaction, and willingness to listen.”
The
secretary-general pointed to the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, and the outcome document of the World Conference on
Indigenous Peoples held seven years later, as the “tools” to bring about
the new social contract.
“There is no excuse for denying the world’s
476 million indigenous peoples self-determination and meaningful
participation in all decision-making
“Free, prior, and informed consent is central for indigenous peoples to exercise their own vision of development,” he said.
Additionally,
even though recognition of the importance of indigenous knowledge
grows, particularly in relation to solving global challenges such as the
climate crisis and preventing the emergence of contagious diseases, the
UN chief stressed that this knowledge must be owned and shared by
indigenous communities themselves.
“On this International Day of the
World’s Indigenous Peoples, let us show true solidarity by working to
end the grievous inequalities of indigenous peoples worldwide, to fully
recognize the abuse they have endured, and to celebrate their knowledge
and wisdom,” he said.
In a related development, while the COVID-19
pandemic has exposed and exacerbated inequalities affecting people
worldwide, a UN independent expert warned that even recovery efforts are
having some negative impacts on indigenous communities.
Special
Rapporteur José Tzay said economic recovery measures had prioritised and
supported the expansion of business operations at the expense of
indigenous peoples, their lands, and the environment.
“To avoid
making the situation even worse, I urge States to involve
representatives, leaders, and traditional authorities of indigenous
peoples, including those living in urban areas, in the design and
implementation of recovery policies,” he said.
Tzay further urged
governments to support solutions that put indigenous peoples’ rights to
self-determination and land at the core of post-pandemic recovery
efforts, in line with 2007 UN Declaration.
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
They operate in their individual capacity and are neither UN staff, nor do they receive a salary from the Organisation.
