Item 10: Future work

Statement by

Indigenous Peoples Rights International-IPRI

IPRI would like to make two suggestions regarding EMRIP´s future work.

The first is referred to the statement IPRI presented under agenda item number 3, when commenting on this year´s study.

We are encouraged by the initial positive response by members of EMRIP on our recommendation for a future Study or report on Peace Agreements and Accords relating to conflicts affecting indigenous peoples. 

The analysis and advice on peace agreements is a complex and extremely relevant issue. Peace agreements are the result of conflict situations in which indigenous peoples have suffered gross violations of their collective and individual human rights. The monitoring of the implementation of these agreements is fundamental and the international community can have a very positive role on this, as we have heard in the case of Colombia. In some situations, indigenous peoples can be negatively affected by these agreements, particularly where their fundamental rights are not recognized or have not been considered in the peace processes including on post conflict.

Our second suggestion is linked to the status of EMRIP as a subsidiary body of the HRC.

We believe EMRIP should play a role to follow up developments on indigenous peoples’ rights issues in the overall work of the Council.

IPRI has started to publish a Digest of domestic decisions and jurisprudence regarding the rights of indigenous peoples. The Digest includes the relevant general comments, concluding observations and other work developed by the UN Treaty Bodies, which are clarifying how indigenous peoples’ rights should be incorporated and implemented within the scope of the different human rights conventions.  Other relevant processes under the Human Rights Council, including the Universal Periodic Review and the work developed by the special procedures, are also producing relevant recommendations to State members and others to implement internationally recognized indigenous rights as part of their human rights obligations and commitments.

We think EMRIP should take this monitoring of developments under the HRC as part of its regular work, including monitoring and discussion on implementation of the rich UN jurisprudence. This could be undertaken creating a special and accessible database that could record these developments as well as incorporating a permanent agenda item during its annual session where implementation could be discussed between the experts, the member states and indigenous peoples.

IPRI remains committed to cooperate with EMRIP in the development of these and any other activities to promote the full implementation of UNDRIP as we celebrate its 15th Anniversary this year.

Thank you.