8 September to 8 October, 2025
Statement by Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and Grupo Intercultural Almaciga
This statement is submitted on behalf of Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and Grupo Intercultural Almaciga.
We would like to congratulate the Special Rapporteur, doctor Albert Barume, for his submission of his first report to the Human Rights Council.[1] We would like to stress the important work that the Rapporteurship has developed in the promotion and protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and we call on member states to renew this mandate, to fully collaborate with the Special Rapporteur, and to provide the necessary means to fulfil his tasks. It is imperative that member States translate their commitments to human rights into actions providing funding for the adequate functioning of the Special Procedures system.
The report presented by the Special Rapporteur tackles a very relevant issue for Indigenous Peoples. As stated in the report, recognition of Indigenous Peoples as such is the necessary first step to ensure the respect and protection of our fundamental rights. Without recognition, Indigenous rights are violated with impunity, and discrimination persists.
Indigenous Peoples have engaged for decades with the international and regional human rights systems, demanding the recognition of their identity and collective and individual rights as distinct peoples. The international community has made significant progress in such recognition, as reflected by the adoption of UNDRIP and the universal commitment to its implementation restated in the UNGA Outcome Document of the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
At the domestic level, many member states have incorporated the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and some of their rights in their legislation, including at the Constitutional level.
But, in spite of progress, the implementation gap persists. Even in many of the countries with some level of recognition, the necessary steps for realization have not been taken. Legal inconsistency allows for legislation on mining, energy, including just transition, or environmental conservation to supersede constitutional and international duties regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples. IPRI has assessed the environmental conservation legislation in 12 countries in different regions of the world vis-à-vis Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Environmental laws and policies still allow forced displacement of Indigenous Peoples without their free, prior, and informed consent, and consistently ignore their rights to self-determination and over their lands, territories, and resources. This legal inconsistency is an important vector of violence and criminalization against Indigenous Peoples, legalizes their dispossession and the violation of their rights, and should be urgently addressed. We hope the Special Rapporteur can pay attention to the persistence of legal inconsistency as one of the obstacles for the realization of international human rights obligations and provide recommendations to member states for the amendment or repeal of such legislation.
We appreciate the observations and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of the indiscriminate extension of the Indigenous Peoples’ international human rights regime to other collectives and individuals. Human rights have evolved to better protect and defend distinct groups according to their specific needs and historical realities. The Declaration recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are equal to other Peoples, with the right to self-determination. Non-recognition of the status of Indigenous Peoples as peoples, including by assimilating them to other groups, is discriminatory and undermines our fundamental rights.
Regarding the ongoing work of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to lands, territories and natural resources, as well as the progress and limitations in the implementation of these rights, we look forward to co-operate and participate in the upcoming regional consultations for the completion of his report.[2] Lack of realization of our rights to our lands, territories and resources due to non-recognition, inadequate titling procedures and other factors is a key obstacle in the exercise of our right to self-determination and a full range of social, cultural and economic rights. It is also one of the main sources of violence and criminalization against Indigenous Peoples. We are glad the Special Rapporteur has taken this aspect into account in his interim report and we hope he will be able to further elaborate on the issue.
We welcome the visit of the Special Rapporteur to Botswana. Country visits are a key aspect of the Special Procedures work. It allows for Indigenous Peoples, States and other actors to directly engage with the Special Rapporteurs on particular issues, on which the experts can provide targeted recommendations for the protection and realization of Indigenous Peoples’ rights on the ground. In this regard, we want to express our deep concern for the impact that the current liquidity crisis is having in the work of the mandate holders, including the reduction of country visits. We hope that member states increase their support and contributions to solve this situation.
Finally, we would like to reiterate our commitment to cooperate with Dr Barume in his work and wish him all the best in the fulfillment of his important mandate.
[1] A/HRC/60/29
[2] A/80/181
