Webinar Series: Situation of indigenous human rights defenders in the Asian region and the responsibility of business enterprises to respect human rights

With the aim of engaging with indigenous peoples in Asia, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, conducted a regional consultation jointly with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bangkok and with the support of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact and the Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education.

The consultation was held in Bangkok from 13 to 15 November 2019 and attended by more than 100 representatives of indigenous peoples from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as Taiwan Province of China. Academics, lawyers and representatives of civil society organizations, independent national human rights institutions, the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature also participated.

The consultation focused on self-determination, governance and justice systems; lands, territories and resources; conservation; climate change; business and human rights; human rights defenders; and the Sustainable Development Goals. The impact of climate change on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights was emphasized, as was the critical role played by indigenous peoples in protecting the environment, including through traditional knowledge. The consultation aimed, among other things, to exchange experiences and discuss the current challenges faced by indigenous peoples in Asia.