United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)

20^th Session, 19-30 April,  2021 

Agenda Item 6: Thematic dialogues: Follow up to the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Friday 23 April 9-11 AM (EST) 

Presentation by the Janene Yazzie, International Indian Treaty Council, Co-Convenor of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group

Respectful Greetings and thank you (Madame Chair),

I'm coming to you from the occupied territories of my people the Dine, also known as Na Nizhoozi (or Gallup) in New Mexico. I have the honor of serving as Co-Convenor of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group on behalf of International Indian Treaty Council, I appreciate the opportunity to address the members of the Forum on the 2030 Agenda. With the impacts of the pandemic, which we have heard about this first week of the Forum, it is critical that the United Nations Economic and Social Council (or ECOSOC) and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on the Sustainable Development Goals are more impactful as our globe wrestles with the economic and educational inequalities, food insecurities, health disparities and increase in gender-based violence , among other issues exacerbated by the impacts of the pandemic. These disparities impact all the areas addressed by the 2030 Agenda, and the interventions this past week have shown the disproportionate impact to the world’s Indigenous peoples regardless of whether they are in so-called developed countries or developing nations, indicating that Indigenous Peoples are still being furthest left behind in all areas addressed by the 2030 Agenda.

Part of the challenge we face in making meaningful progress, is the voluntary nature of commitments to implementation. When it comes to developed nations, it is particularly disparaging that the United States has yet to meaningfully engage in the implementation of the SDGs. With the new administration making bold commitments to address climate change and rejoining the Paris Agreement, we hope that the same enthusiasm can be extended to implementing the interlinking goals of the 2030 Agenda. This week we witnessed the historic address of Secretary Debra Haaland, becoming the highest-ranking Indigenous Women in the United States Government to address the forum. We appreciate the Forum members adopting the theme on SDG 16 as the remarks shared by Secretary Haaland sparks hope that her appointment can usher in a new era of federal relations with Indigenous Peoples in implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and that the United States truly fully adopts and implements, without conditions, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We look forward to any opportunity to work with Secretary Haaland on the realization of the administrations climate goals and agree with her statement that “It is Indigenous resilience and worldview that every government, country, and community can learn from”.

But there is much work to be done. The Voluntary National Reports submitted by other North America, Artic and Pacific Countries have served as starting points for evaluation of the meaningful involvement of Indigenous Peoples in developing sustainable solutions, leading in many cases, to more involvement of Indigenous Peoples in the VNRs such has been the case in Finland and Norway. However, in the case of Canada, whose 2018 VNR mentioned Indigenous Peoples 112 times, consultation in SDG processes does not necessarily lead to the advancement of Indigenous Rights on the ground as many First Nations peoples continue to struggle for the recognition of their land rights and right to water in protection of their Lands, territories and resources from harmful pipeline development. These realities demonstrate the importance of enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples in the High-Level Political Forum, as often that is the main avenue for Indigenous Peoples to present the reality of their situation on the ground.

For all these reasons I present the following recommendations to the Forum members:

1. In alignment with the statement offered by Secretary Deb Haaland we ask the forum members to advise ECOSOC on the importance of Indigenous Peoples representation in the High-Level Political Forum. Right now, we share limited spots in Expert Group Meetings, informal and formal meetings on the 2030 Agenda, and other activities of the HLPF with the other nine major groups representing Civil Society. This severely limits representation of Indigenous Peoples from the 7 socio-cultural regions represented by the Indigenous Peoples Major Group, which is further limited by the lack of language translation in Expert Group Meetings and informal meetings. We recommend that all High-level formal and informal meetings include a reserved seat for Indigenous Peoples and further recommend the provision of translation services so that participation is not only limited to English-speaking peoples; and
2. As the theme of this year’s forum is SDG 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”, we echo the call to end the criminalization of land rights and human rights defenders. There can be no meaningful involvement of Indigenous Peoples in implementing the 2030 Agenda if they face state-sanctioned violence and criminalization when exercising their right to protect their lands, territories, resources, and peoples when it comes to development issues; and
3. We recommend that Forum members work with the Indigenous Peoples Major Group to further provide guidance to ECOSOC on how to fully implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, build off best practices for meaningful engagement of Indigenous Peoples in meeting the 2030 Agenda, and to address long-standing issues and challenges around the need for disaggregated data, recognition for Indigenous Peoples’ Land and Resource rights, recognition of collective Rights and Traditional Knowledge, and recognition of the inherent rights to self-determination, treaty rights, and the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent in all development activities and plans.

Indigenous Peoples must be involved in monitoring and implementing the SDGs at both the country and UN levels to address these shortfalls and ensure that these and other rights are protected. As goal measured objectives the 2030 Agenda represents the opportunity for the operationalization of global commitments. Let us use that opportunity to the best of our ability to further enhance the rights of Indigenous Peoples at a time when the world most needs our solutions and wisdom.

 UN PERMANENT FORUM INDIGENOUS ISSUES- 2021

Agenda Item 6: Thematic dialogues: Follow up to the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development                                                       

Friday 23 April, 2021

Presentation on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Joan Carling, co-convenor, Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development

According to the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR)  of 2019,  the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development  in the past 4 years was not on track for a single  goal of the 17 SDGs. Further, there was even regression in four key  elements reflected in the Goals, which are rising  inequalities, worsening climate change  and biodiversity loss, and increasing amounts of waste from human activity that are overwhelming capacities to process them. This worrisome scenario also reflects  the realities of indigenous peoples across the globe, who are not only being left behind but also pushed behind further. 

In spite of the commitments made by states to a balanced implementation of the three intertwined dimensions of the SDGs (the economic, social and environmental), the main priorities and  targets are more on unsustainable economic growth in the name of “national development” in partnership with business and investors, which are hardly regulated in terms of  social and environmental policies and safeguards. This is a major factor for the  continuing  disregard and outright violations of the collective rights of indigenous peoples across the globe, which result in widespread grabbing of indigenous peoples’ lands and resources, conflicts over resource-use and development, forced displacements or evictions, increasing poverty and hunger, destruction of cultural heritage, increased violence against women and girls. All of these areas  are linked to the SDGs. It is also a major factor contributing to the  worsening inequality, pollution and forest degradation, loss of biodiversity in indigenous territories as corporations and investors scramble to take control and extract the  indigenous peoples remaining resources.  

Goal 13 on combatting climate change is another major challenge for indigenous peoples. Mining for coal, oil and gas in indigenous territories  is still a priority for a number countries. Likewise, renewable energy projects such as windmills, geothermal plants and large dams are implemented in indigenous territories without  the consent of affected indigenous peoples.  Adding insult to injury; the energy generated by these projects are more for urban and town centers, and not for the  host indigenous communities. This skewed implementation of the just transition to combat climate change and advance the SDGs  remains under the  ‘business as usual approach’ instead of  taking transformational actions for sustainability and equity.  Deforestation for agribusiness  expansion on one hand, and fortress conservation on the other  hand is  pushing  millions of indigenous peoples further behind.

As the theme of the ongoing session of the Permanent Forum is Goal 16 relating to peace, justice and strong institutions, this Goal is in fact a central element for indigenous peoples’ inclusion in the SDGs as it encompasses the respect and protection of human rights including the collective rights of indigenous peoples,  peace, access to justice and good governance.

Many of the challenges mentioned above pertains to Goal 16 which also has the  most number of recommendations in the Human Rights system of the UN relating to indigenous peoples. In fact, there are more than 1,700  recommendations from treaty bodies, the UPR, and special procedures relating to the need to fully recognize the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources; to free prior and informed consent in order to  prevent land grabbing and destruction of their resources; the need to ensure access to justice against the  criminalization of indigenous peoples, including the   disproportionate number of indigenous peoples  in jail in many countries;  the need to ratify ILO Convention 169 for the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples as state obligation, among other recommendations.

These recommendations clearly demonstrate the direct link of indigenous peoples’ rights to advancing sustainable development that is also just, equitable and sustainable. If states will abide by their human rights obligations and commitments to indigenous peoples by implementing these recommendations, then it will provide the enabling environment for indigenous peoples’ inclusion in the SDGs within the context of advancing their self-determined development that is not only sustainable  but also holistic.

From last year to this year, the COVID 19 pandemic is causing major and severe  setbacks to the implementation of the SDGs. For indigenous peoples, this has amplified the existing inequality and discrimination, which are key factors that will   leave indigenous peoples further behind in achieving sustainable development. Millions of  indigenous children already struggling to pursue their education are not able to cope with the shift to e-learning,  home study and other restrictions.  Likewise, indigenous women became more vulnerable to violence and abuse given the lockdowns and indigenous persons with disabilities are further marginalized. 

The global call now under the UN  is to build back better and advance sustainable recovery to achieve the SDGs. While indigenous peoples need to be part of the recovery, it is important  for indigenous peoples to pay attention to the recovery plans  by the respective governments, as well as clear attempts for green-washing for example in the name of “nature-based solutions” being promoted by corporations. A growing number of countries are justifying unsustainable economic recovery plans to cope with the impacts of the pandemic. These plans are again largely based on resource extraction with the expansion of agribusiness, coal mining and renewable energy projects with adverse impacts on indigenous peoples ’livelihoods and cultural heritage. Even environmental safeguards are being weakened to fast-track investments and  projects for economic growth.  Likewise, many authoritarian states are imposing more restrictions to fundamental rights and freedoms to prevent opposition to their plans and actions in the name of COVID 19 recovery.

It would also be critical for indigenous peoples to build and strengthen partnerships with UN agencies in advancing the SDGs based on indigenous peoples’ perspectives, needs and aspirations. This should include engagement and collaboration  with UN country teams. A growing number of philanthropists are also supporting the SDGs on education, reducing poverty and ending hunger, access to renewable energy, among others. Indigenous peoples organizations and networks can leverage their work on these goals  to collaborate and partner with donors. Many local governments are also now becoming more sensitive to the needs of their constituents in localizing the SDGs.  This can be opportunities for indigenous peoples to engage with local governments and establish platforms for collaboration in addressing the needs and priorities of indigenous peoples.

To conclude, indigenous peoples need to continue to build and strengthen our capacities, organizations,  networks and solidarity relations  at all levels to amplify our voices, advance the respect and protection of our  rights  and wellbeing in the implementation of the SDGs as we continue to pursue our self-determined development and protect the future of the generations to come. 

Thank you.

Indigenous Peoples position during the Climate and Development Ministerial | 31 March 2021

Good morning, good afternoon Most excellent Co-President of the COP 26, Distinguished Ministers. On behalf of the International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Climate Change and the Indigenous Peoples' Major Group on Sustainable Development, we appreciate the space to participate in the Climate Change and Development Ministerial event.

It is essential that the voices, rights, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples are prioritized in not only the discussions today, but in all discussion leading up, and beyond, COP26 to advance solutions to address the climate crisis.

We firmly believe that it is not possible to talk about climate crises, biodiversity loss, health pandemic, sustainable development, and response measures without the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, including women, men, Elders, the differently-abled, those who are gender-diverse and youth.

Day by day, we see the effects of the climate crisis on our lands, territories and resources. Effects that continue to worsen. In November of last year, the Caribbean Coast region of Nicaragua, where I come from, was impacted by two extreme hurricanes in less than 15 days. We have seen forest fires in in Brazil, Australia, Siberia, droughts and floods that have devastated our lives and ecosystems. Despite these disproportionate impacts, we continue to be leaders in adaptation, mitigation and reciprocal living with our lands, territories and resources, including oceans, ice, and water. These contributions have been confirmed by numerous studies and reports, highlighting the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples, the protection of our rights, and of our knowledge systems, science, and innovation have in contributing to the implementation of the Paris Agreement goals.

If efforts continue to the protection of our rights to lands, territories and resources, as well as the minimum standards contained with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we can increase the amount of carbon sequestered, expand agro-ecosystems for sustainable food production, improve capacities of communities to adapt and restore balance with nature and all forms of life. Clearly, we are uniquely positioned to lead transformational change in the face of a climate emergency. 

To lead this change, we need to shift our thinking towards Indigenous-led and Indigenous-governed institutions that emphasize the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. We reiterate here our call for establishment of a specially dedicated fund to be directly accessed and managed by Indigenous Peoples from developing and developed countries to enhance and further develop their adaptation capacities and to strengthen indigenous peoples’ knowledge and livelihoods and customary land tenure systems. We are appreciative of the progress made by the Green Climate Fund, Global Environmental Facility, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and the Forest Investment Program’s Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities but believe that much of the assistance is still too new and of insufficient amounts to address identified needs.

We stand ready to work with States and other key actors at all levels to support financially, politically and with policies the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples' long-term plan for Climate Action. In addition to these calls on finance, we, as Indigenous Peoples, want to reiterate our actions and commitments shared at the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit in 2019 to: 

1. Implement holistic plans to protect our biocultural diversity.

2. Develop actions and activities related to climate change that ensure our rights to lands, territories and resources, to the right to self-determination and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to any action that affects our lands, territories or resources. 

3. Implement and promote a rights-based approach to access and implementation of renewable energy development, for a just transition away from fossil fuels that respects our right to self-determination and Free Prior and Informed consent.

Indigenous Peoples have been consistently involved in international and national climate discussions for the last 2 decades, urging for urgent and transformative change to address the climate and biodiversity crisis. We remain willing to walk the path of solutions with States and other stakeholders.

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The Statement was read by Eileen Mairena-Cunningham – member of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development and Civil Society Organisation southern active observer to the Green Climate Fund

8^th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

March 25, 2021

STATEMENT FROM THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CONSTITUENCY

Linking National, Regional, and Global Dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

I am Robie Halip from the Kalanguya and Kankanaey indigenous peoples in the Philippines and representing the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development (IPMG) and the Indigenous Peoples constituency of the APRCEM. 

In this decade of action, political will “walking the talk” from states is needed.

The commitment by states of leaving no one behind should be put into action at the national and local levels to make meaningful change to the people especially for those left behind.

While progress is reported by some states, there is still a need to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, women, youth, and farmers among others in national VNR processes and in the overall implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the SDGs.

Multi-stakeholder platforms at the country level that ensures all voices are heard and taken into account need to be institutionalized or where present strengthened to ensure that no one is left behind. The support of UN country teams to this is essential.

Digital divide needs to be seriously addressed and should not hinder states from reaching out and involving the people in the overall SDG process.

Integration of inputs to the VNR report of states from CSOs and major groups should be ensured and that reports from the civil society be included as part of the official documents of the VNR.

It is important that the participation in decision making processes in relation to COVID19 recovery of indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, workers, farmers, women, and urban poor among others is in place to ensure that our particular needs and priorities are addressed.

Further to this, we reiterate our previous recommendation for APFSD to:

• ensure adequate actions on issues affecting the region that impact the achievement of the SDGs such as cross-border issues, shrinking civil society spaces, and rising authoritarianism in the region;
• facilitate more interactive and action-oriented discussions and exchanges in addressing systemic barriers including unfair trade and investment relations and mechanism, authoritarian political systems, neo-liberal policies that is widening inequality and destroying the environment among others; and
• ensure the implementation of a rights-based approach to sustainable development that takes into account development justice. 


The full and effective participation and the critical voice, of the civil society and major groups in national, regional, and global SDG processes is important and must be strengthened. We are your partners in achieving the 2030 Agenda.

Indigenous Peoples Statement on the Regional perspectives on accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

8^th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

March 23, 2021

I am Robie Halip from the Kalanguya and Kankanaey indigenous peoples in the Philippines and representing the IPMG and the Indigenous Peoples constituency of the APRCEM.

After six years of implementation of the SDGs, indigenous peoples in the region remain not only furthest behind in terms of poverty reduction and access to appropriate social services, among others, but also continue to suffer from land dispossession, rising inequalities, climate change, forest degradation, loss of biodiversity, conflicts on resource-use and lack of access to justice.  This situation is further compounded by the COVID19.

Our contributions to sustainable development as agents of change and the persistence of their sustainable lifeways, knowledge, skills and values as critical to advancing sustainable development are not protected and supported. 

On the contrary, indigenous peoples’ sustainable livelihoods and legitimate actions to defend their rights to lands, territories and resources are being criminalized with increasing cases of persecution, extra-judicial killings and other gross human rights violations.

With the spread of COVID19, many indigenous communities have revived and implemented  traditional community lockdowns to prevent contamination. This has been successful for indigenous communities that have secure land tenure, sufficient food supply and are able to continue their subsistence economy and other livelihood activities. This is not the case though for indigenous communities whose territories have been overtaken by illegal logging, mining, and other destructive projects implemented without their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.

Indigenous peoples play a critical role in the achievement of sustainable development and our sustainable resource management practices can help prevent the spread of emerging zoonotic diseases. On this, Indigenous peoples as rights-holders, actors and partners in development must be recognized including the full recognition, respect and protection of our collective rights enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Indigenous peoples, including indigenous women, youth, and persons with disabilities among others, must be able to meaningfully participate in decision- making related to response and recovery measures on the covid-19 pandemic and processes related to SDGs at all levels. Further, political will and resources are urgently needed to undertake data-disaggregation by ethnicity in the monitoring and reporting on the SDGs at all levels to make indigenous peoples visible and accounted for in the SDG implementation.

A shift from the current exploitative, extractive, and destructive development to a rights-based development that puts the people and planet first is urgently needed.

High Level Political Forum- 2020

Statement of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group - IPMG

Transformative pathways to realize the 2030 Agenda: a whole of society approach taking into account the impact of COVID19 (Stakeholders Perspectives)

The ongoing COVID 19 pandemic is affecting disproportionately the  indigenous peoples across the globe. They comprise  6.2%  of the   global population  who are not just left behind but pushed behind further in the implementation of the SDGs. The historical condition of indigenous peoples as impoverished which is 15% of the global extremely poor population makes them highly vulnerable to contract the virus and have  the least access to proper medical treatment. The disproportionate number of infection and death of indigenous peoples in the U.S. and Brazil due to the pandemic  clearly demonstrate the continuing  discrimination of indigenous peoples  such as  the lack of  equal access to health services,  water and sanitation facilities, basic infrastructures such as  energy and communication facilities, education and other basic social services. Further, indigenous peoples are also discriminated in the support and assistance provided by States such as in the distribution of  protective equipment, relief packages, income and livelihood assistance. 

The lockdowns and  other restrictive  measures imposed by States to  control the spread of the virus are also resulting to more hardships and difficulties for the impoverished majority of  indigenous peoples living in both urban and rural areas. These restrictions are causing  loss of income and livelihoods, more hunger and thereby less resistance to diseases, undermining mental health, and increasing vulnerabilities to violence and abuse of indigenous women and girls among others.   Moreover,  land grabbing including deforestation  persist in several countries where indigenous peoples are in self-isolation to prevent the virus.  The criminalization of indigenous peoples when they defend their lands, resources and livelihoods  is also worsening in many developed and developing countries. The land and resource grab and criminalization of indigenous peoples  is expected to worsen  when  States implement their  economic growth  targets for recovery from the impacts of the pandemic  based on resource extraction and profit generation. If the COVID 19 recovery plans remain  under business as usual approach, this  will certainly  push indigenous peoples further behind,  and will  worsen inequality and environmental destruction.  For many  indigenous peoples, this is tantamount to  their existential crisis with a grim future for the coming generations.

While indigenous peoples bear the brunt of the pandemic, the continuing lack of  data disaggregation by ethnicity is keeping indigenous peoples invisible in  data related to the COVID 19 pandemic including on  the impacts of state’s response measures and also on  the progress and gaps in the implementation of the SDGs.

Accelerating Actions and delivery of the 2030 Agenda in the next ten years will  require decisive actions  at all levels,  that should result to  long lasting transformation on the ground in ensuring  the wellbeing of peoples  and protection of the planet. The 2030 Agenda provides key principles, but these are not translated into appropriate and  critical actions to address the structural barriers to sustainable development. For example, more and more States are saying we cannot remain in doing business as usual if we are to advance the SDGs and that “no one should be left behind”.  However, the same States are the ones fully supporting the fossil fuel industry, unequal trade relations, unsustainable agribusiness  expansion,  and allowing the worst forms of corruption, bribery, tax evasion,  war and conflicts, violence and oppression of women,  massive land and resource grab and human rights violations with impunity. This reality on the ground by indigenous peoples and other marginalized sectors  are  largely  ignored  in designing and implementing the SDGs from global to local levels.

Likewise, the Ministerial Declaration of every High-Level Political Forum is simply a reiteration of the elements of the  Political Declaration of the 2030 Agenda. It fails to provide   the strategic guidance and  means needed to address the continuing gaps and  challenges to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. The negotiations on the Ministerial  Declaration is illustrating an utter lack of political will and determination  by States to go beyond national interest and agenda and agree on key steps to transform the unjust economic and political order to achieve sustainable development for all. After four years of SDG implementation,  the UN as the valuable multilateral body  to address global issues and strengthen global cooperation and solidarity, needs to invigorate itself and  provide the collective leadership and concerted actions to make real changes on the ground in advancing sustainable development for all.

Download full statement. 

United Nations High Level Plenary Forum

Session on Sustainable Development Goal #2, Ending Hunger and Achieving Food Security

July 7, 2020

Presentation by Andrea Carmen, International Indian Treaty Council and Lead Discussant for the Indigenous Peoples Major Group

In 2002, the International Indian Treaty Council co-sponsored, with UN FAO, the 1^st Global Consultation on the Right to Food for Indigenous Peoples in Sololá Guatemala.  Participants from all regions adopted the Declaration of Atitlan which identified 8 primary obstacles to the exercise of our right to food.  These included lack of access to land, water and other resources, introduction of genetically-modified seeds and foods, imposed development, agro-chemicals, loss of systems for transmission of traditional knowledge, and the growing threat of climate change. 

Although SDG 2 is one of only two goals that specifically mention Indigenous Peoples, these obstacles have persisted, and in some cases, are even more pronounced.   Indigenous Peoples remain economically marginalized in both developed and developing countries.  Although the UN recognizes that small-scale and family farmers, including Indigenous Peoples, produce a substantial portion of the world’s food supply, few policies and programs exist to support them.  The fragility of high-technology, corporate-controlled food production and distribution systems has been further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The essential value of our traditional knowledge for adaption to and mitigation of Climate Change, including our millennial practices for food production, was recognized by the UNFCCC in the 2015 Paris Agreement and the 2018 creation of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform.   Nevertheless, actions undertaken by states and corporations, as well as, at times, the UN system itself, continue to undermine the ability of Indigenous Peoples to protect, defend and strengthen our traditional food systems.  If SDG 2’s targets are to be met, the full participation of Indigenous Peoples, recognition of our knowledge systems, and respect for our rights are essential.  

Thank you, Choque Utesia

7^th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
20 May 2020, Online Platform

STATEMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CONSTITUENCY ON THE SESSION:

‘Linking National, Regional, and Global Dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’

May 20, 2020

Despite of the strong global commitment by States to achieve the SDGs, national strategies and action plans largely do not reflect and put into action these commitments particularly in relation to balance implementation of the environmental, social and economic dimensions, the pledge of leaving no one behind, multi-stakeholders partnerships that include rights-holders among others.   

The international commitment of States to respect and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples is not integrated in national action plans and strategies. Further, the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous Women, Persons with Disability etc  as one of the key stakeholder and rights-holder in development processes from the local to the national levels is still not in place and our needs and priorities are not reflected in the plans and programs of states  Likewise, the global commitment to undertake data-disaggregation by ethnicity is not implemented at the national level in most countries with Indigenous Peoples and also  in the Asia- Pacific Regional level. No remarkable progress has been achieved in data disaggregation by ethnicity and no measures have been undertaken to ensure date disaggregation by ethnicity in the region which is a fundamental step in fulfilling the commitment of leaving no one behind. 

At the regional level, crossborder issues impacting Indigenous Peoples such as forced displacements, statelessness, migrant workers, division of indigenous territories, shared resources such as the Mekong river are not adequately discussed and acted upon in regional platforms.  National and regional plans and priorities focus more on economic growth without giving equal attention to environment protection and strengthening democracy and human rights in the region which is under Goal 16 and   key to achieving sustainable development. 

On these note, we provide the following recommendations:

• For States to put into action their pledge of leaving no one behind by fully implementing their human rights obligations including the recognition and protection of the right to land, territories and resources of Indigenous Peoples
• For States to establish effective mechanisms for sustained engagement, participation and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in developing and implementing laws, policies, appropriate measures and programmes to address their specific needs including indigenous women and their aspirations for sustainable development with sufficient resources; and conducting data -disaggregation by ethnicity
• For APFSD to ensure adequate actions on cross-boarder issues and ensure the protection of human rights and the environment; to facilitate more interactive and action -oriented discussions and exchanges in addressing systemic barriers including unfair trade and investment relations and mechanism, authoritarian political systems, neo-liberal policies that is widening inequality and destroying the environment among others; and to ensure the implementation of a rights-based approach to sustainable development and taking into account development justice.    

7^th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
20 May 2020, Online Platform

STATEMENT BY THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MAJOR GROUP FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT- IPMG

Review of regional progress on SDGs five years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

“Accelerating action and delivery of the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific”

The ESCAP Review Report reveals that aside from the fact that no country is on track to achieve all the SDGs, some key SDGS are even regressing. These are worsening inequality and loss of forest and biodiversity which are at the core of indigenous peoples’ survival, wellbeing and development. The alarming trend of regression illustrates that actions of States are pushing  behind  the more than 300 million indigenous peoples in the Asia Pacific region who are dependent on their traditional lands and resources.  States are giving focus to economic growth driven by profit and exacerbated by corruption leading to wider inequality, massive environment destruction and widespread violations of the rights of indigenous peoples. This prevailing condition is  further  aggravated by the inadequate States’ response measures to the present Covid-19 pandemic and discrimination in the provision of relief and other needed support and services.  While dealing with the pandemic, indigenous peoples continue to confront more land-grabbing, criminalization of indigenous activists,  loss or denial of their traditional livelihood, among others.

Achieving the 2030 Agenda will require good governance, coherent policies, clear measures and decisive actions by States to address systemic issues causing the regression of key SDGs. These actions must include the legal recognition of indigenous peoples as rights-holders and stewards  of the environment and  establishment of effective measures to ensure access to justice.  The SDGs will not be achieved if States continue to deny our rights and make indigenous peoples invisible.  WE EXIST as distinct groups bearing invaluable contributions to sustainable development.  Therefore,  data dis-aggregation by ethnicity is urgently needed in monitoring and reporting on the SDGs - to make progress on indigenous peoples be visible and areas of regression be identified and addressed. 

Further,  urgent transformational actions by States and other development actors need to include genuine partnerships with indigenous peoples in good faith; based on the protection of their rights  and their meaningful participation in decision-making and  processes related to SDGs at all levels. These must take into account indigenous peoples’ self-determined development  and their roles and contributions to environmental protection, food security and sustainable resource management, among others. 

We only have 10 years left to achieve the SDGS. If States and other key development actors continue to ignore the voices of rights-holders and marginalized groups and sectors including indigenous peoples; and if transformation actions are not undertaken to break the systems that are causing unsustainable development and social injustice, we will not only fail in achieving the SDGs, but we are also jeopardizing the present and future generations.

World Indigenous Peoples Initiative to the UNSG Climate Action Summit

Commitments for Action on Climate

September 23, 2019 

Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have been leaders in adaptation, mitigation, and living reciprocally with their lands, territories, and resources, including oceans and waters. Yet, the continued degradation of Indigenous Peoples’ lands, territories, resources, and biocultural diversity resulting from imposed development, causes and compounds the impacts of climate change while reducing our adaptive capacity and creating a false dependency on fossil fuel extraction. Drawing on our knowledge systems, sustainable practices, and rights, we continue to preserve our diverse ecosystems (such as forests, savanna, lands, oceans, waters, and biodiversity). Through this, we steward 80% of the world’s biodiversity, and at least 22% of forest carbon, despite comprising only 5% of the world’s population. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Land underlines the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge systems contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement objectives. If efforts continue to support our rights to lands, territories, and resources, we can increase the amount of carbon captured from 100tC/ha to 625tC/ha, scale-up agroecosystems for sustainable food production, and restore harmony with nature and all life forms. Clearly, we are uniquely positioned to lead transformative change in the face of a climate emergency.

Moreover, access to renewable energy that will contribute to climate mitigation and support Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods must be a crucial element of climate change solutions. Currently, more than 50% of rural Indigenous Peoples do not have access to energy, while such communities are disproportionately affected by the adverse impacts of expanding energy projects. The Right Energy Partnership (REP) with Indigenous Peoples aims to promote a human rights-based approach to renewable energy development, and to facilitate access to renewable energy for millions of Indigenous People.

Consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration), International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169, and other international human rights mechanisms, Indigenous Peoples stress the importance of a rights-based approach to all climate action. We commit to working with all partners, including states, donors, civil society organizations to advance Indigenous Peoples’ climate leadership.

Our Commitments and Actions are as follows:

1. Implement holistic plans to protect our biocultural diversity, ensuring the inclusion of our most marginalized, through the following two actions:

a. In 2020, to develop transformative long-term plans with specific indicators for sustainable management of lands, territories and resources in our diverse ecosystems, ensuring our full and effective participation in decision-making processes concerning climate action, environmental protection and sustainable development.  The plans shall have specific targets and benchmarks for monitoring to be achieved for 2030 in line with the SDGs and targets for 2050 on the protection and restoration of our forests and biocultural diversity.

b. In 2020, to develop Indigenous-specific preliminary guidance for enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ full and effective participation, accounting and enhancement of our contributions at all levels, and a rights-based approach to reduce emission by 45% by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050 with effective adaptation and mitigation responses and increased climate ambitions.

2. Develop climate change related actions and activities that secure our rights to lands, territories and resources, our right of self-determination, and the right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), [inter alia UN Declaration] through the following two Actions:

a. To work with States, to strengthen the legal recognition and implementation of our rights, particularly our rights to lands, territories and resources in sustainable land use planning, management and governance to prevent conflicts. This will ensure our exercise social, cultural, economic and environmental rights and to safeguard these rights for long-term climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and Disaster Risk Reduction Plans by 2025; and

b. To work with States, the private sector, investment and financial institutions and other relevant actors, to develop policies, programmes, regulations and incentives, which recognize, respect and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including  our right to FPIC to any action that affects our lands, territories or resources from 2020 to 2025. 

3. Implement and promote a rights-based approach and access to and implementation of renewable energy development, for a just transition away from fossil fuels that respects our right of self-determination and our right to FPIC, through the following three actions:

a. Increase partnerships and scale-up implementation of the Right Energy Partnership (REP) to enable and accelerate the transition to resilient Indigenous Peoples’ communities by ensuring access to renewable energy of at least 50 million Indigenous People by 2030, and 200 million by 2050, to contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation; and  support our sustainable livelihoods, equitable economic development and reduce poverty and hunger, among others.

b. Develop innovative and adaptive solutions, drawing on the sharing and valuing of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems to strengthen our resilience to climate change by 2030;

c. Work with States, and other partners, to ensure a strong focus on equity, social justice, gender and youth involvement in all actions for a just transition, to enhance our sustainability and protection of our identities and dignities, with special attention to the role  of Indigenous traditional food producers, knowledge holders, as well as those living with disabilities, by 2030 and 2050.

These Commitments and Actions will have the following impacts:

• Increase the amount of protected Indigenous lands, resources, and territories, contributing to the restoration of biocultural diversity and the sequestration of carbon to reduce carbon emissions.
• Generate sustainable, localized, and nature-based economies to protect Indigenous Peoples traditional lifeways, food sovereignty, water sovereignty, and cultural transmission that will benefit our communities and humanity.
• Strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ climate resilience and adaptation by increasing the effectiveness of climate solutions on the ground.
• Effective climate solutions including disaster prevention and response with the use of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems in combination with scientific knowledge.

To fulfill our commitments, Indigenous Peoples require the following:

• Full and effective implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to lands, territories and resources by States.
• Implementation of the States’ human rights obligations and a halt to the criminalization of Indigenous Peoples; provision of effective access to justice including strict regulations on activities of the private sector affecting Indigenous Peoples’ lands, territories and resources.
• Full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous youth, women, persons living with disabilities, traditional food producers and knowledge holders, in all climate action, including in the formulation and enhancement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and relevant processes at the national, regional and global levels.
• Strong Global ambition, commitment, and action to keep global warming under 1.5 °C degrees in accordance with the Paris Agreement, including the full implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Platform.
• Partnerships with States and other stakeholders at all levels to financial, political, and policy support for the implementation of the long-term plan of Indigenous Peoples for Climate Action (such support includes, but is not limited to, financial/economic, legal/political,  technical  and access to appropriate technologies; participatory monitoring and  data- dis-aggregation by ethnicity, etc.).
• Support independent global, regional and national convenings of Indigenous Peoples to strengthen our leadership, collective actions and contributions to climate solutions.
• Access to relevant information and ensure data disaggregation to adequately reflect Indigenous Peoples’ conditions and contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as the impacts of state policies and actions on Indigenous Peoples.

This is the shorter version of the Indigenous Peoples Commitment at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019. The Statement read by Tuntiak Katan - COICA at the Climate Action Summit. 

We are more than 400 million Indigenous Peoples in the world and we protect 80% of the world's biodiversity. We are committed to working with all partners to address climate change with a human rights-based approach. 

We commit to:

1. Leading the implementation of holistic plans to protect our biocultural diversity, ensuring the inclusion of our most marginalized.

2. Develop actions to secure our rights to lands, territories and resources, self-determination and free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).

3. Access the development of renewable energies in accordance with our self-determination and FPIC.

These actions will have the following impacts

• Protect more Indigenous lands, resources and territories, contributing to biocultural diversity, carbon sequestration and reduced carbon emissions.
• Protect indigenous peoples' traditional livelihoods, food and water sovereignty and cultural transmission.
• Support resilient Indigenous Peoples.
• Produce effective climate solutions using the knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples with scientific knowledge.

What we need:

• Full and effective implementation of the United Nations Declaration, participation and contribution of Indigenous Peoples in the formulation and strengthening of Nationally Determined Contributions and in other climate actions.
• Strong global commitment to keep global warming below 1.5°C
• Financial support for the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples' Climate Action Plan.
• Support for independent global, regional and national meetings of indigenous peoples.
• Access to relevant and disaggregated information.

High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development ( 2019)

Session on: Four years of VNRs: what have we learned on implementing the SDGs?

Statement by the Indigenous Peoples Major Group

While we acknowledge efforts of some States to include indigenous peoples in the SDG implementation, these are few and insufficient. The alarming trend is more exclusion and discrimination of indigenous peoples.  The commitment to leaving no one behind is not translated  into clear actions, particularly  in concrete  policies, programmes, and resource allocation and mobilization.

Many of the Voluntary National Reports acknowledge  the groups of those left behind, but do not provide for mechanisms for the meaningful participation and the full inclusion of their needs and priorities. Further, many countries did not even mention indigenous peoples as distinct marginalized groups and  no reference to  their collective rights and contributions to sustainable development. The top-down approach to SDG implementation, the lack of policy coherence, the disconnect between State’s accountability to their human rights obligations, and the strong emphasis on economic growth are some of the key obstacles in reaching those left behind including indigenous peoples. In fact, there is a continuing lack of awareness of the SDGs at the grassroots level including in indigenous territories.

The VNR session of the HLPF is largely superficial and in many cases do not reflect the realities on the ground in relation to persisting inequality, discrimination, gross violation of human rights and lack of access to justice, all of these are critical issues to achieve the SDGs. Further, the participation of CSOs particularly the rights holders are extremely limited; and some States even refused any statement or questions addressed to them by CSOs  in response to their report. This clearly demonstrate the lack of openness and goodwill of States to engage with its own citizens  despite of the SDG commitment to  participation and inclusion. We cannot allow a double standard in the VNR process  that  rejects to even listen to voices of those left behind who want to present the realities on the ground.   We thereby demand the UNGA and the ECOSOC to ensure meaningful participation of civil society, with particular attention to those left behind in the review of the HLPF.

Foro político de alto nivel para el desarrollo sostenible (2019)

Sesión sobre: ​​Cuatro años de VNR: ¿qué hemos aprendido sobre la implementación de los ODS?

Declaración del Grupo Principal de Pueblos Indígenas.

Si bien reconocemos los esfuerzos de algunos Estados para incluir a los pueblos indígenas en la implementación de los ODS, estos son pocos e insuficientes. La exclusion y la discriminacion de los pueblos indígenas es una tendencia alarmante. El compromiso de no dejar a nadie atrás no se traduce en acciones claras, particularmente en políticas concretas, programas y asignación y movilización de recursos. 

Muchos de los Informes Nacionales Voluntarios reconocen a los grupos de los que se quedan atrás, pero no proporcionan mecanismos para la participación significativa y la plena inclusión de sus necesidades y prioridades. Además, muchos países no contemplan los pueblos indígenas como distintos grupos marginados y sin hacer referencia a sus derechos colectivos ni a sus contribuciones al desarrollo sostenible. El enfoque de arriba hacia abajo para la implementación de los ODS, la falta de coherencia de las políticas, la desconexión entre la responsabilidad del Estado con sus obligaciones de derechos humanos y el fuerte énfasis en el crecimiento económico son algunos de los obstáculos clave para alcanzar a los que se quedan atras, incluidos los pueblos indígenas. De hecho, existe una continua falta de conocimiento de los ODS a nivel de base, incluso en nuestros territorios.

La sesión VNR del HLPF es en gran medida superficial y, en muchos casos, no refleja las realidades en el terreno en relación con la persistencia de la desigualdad, la discriminación, la violación grave de los derechos humanos y la falta de acceso a la justicia. Además, la participación de las Organizaciones de Sociedad Civil, en particular los titulares de derechos, es extremadamente limitada; y algunos estados incluso rechazaron cualquier declaración o pregunta que se  les dirigen, con relacion  a sus informes. Esto demuestra claramente la falta de apertura y buena voluntad de los Estados para comprometerse con sus propios ciudadanos

DECLARATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MAJOR GROUP STATEMENT – GOAL 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

I am Mario Nicacio, from the Wapichana indigenous people of the Brazilian Amazonia, I represent 305 indigenous peoples and 274 Brazilian languages. We live in 13% of the Brazilian territory. The current policy of the Bolsonaro government has a clear focus on the violation of our collective rights. 

That is why we repudiate the government's actions of extermination that we continue to live and that are based in the colonial time, which seek us to renounce our most sacred right, the original right to lands, territories and natural resources that we have preserved for thousands of years and that form the basis of our existence, our identity and our ways of life. The current example is the political instrumentalization of the institutions and the breaking of the guarantees of governance of our rights by deliberately dismantling the National Foundation of the Indian. 

We are experiencing a continuous attack by the State on our dignity and wellbeing as indigenous peoples, through the invasion of our indigenous lands. All these actions undermine the integrity of our territories and our future as indigenous peoples.

It is worrisome, the lack of compliance of the States with its obligations with international human rights instruments. As well as the recommendations made by the specialized procedures of the UN and the Universal Periodic Review, all of them aimed at preventing damages and guaranteeing the defense and promotion of the human rights of the indigenous peoples around the world.

The recurrent violation of the rights of indigenous peoples increases the inequality and discrimination suffered by indigenous peoples.   What is happening in Brazil, reflects the experience  of millions  of indigenous peoples  around the world. The defense of our rights is resulting to  persecution, criminalization, and assassinations and other gross human rights violations against our leaders and communities.

For Indigenous Peoples, Goal 16 should be translated into concrete actions the ensure the respect and protection of our rights; and our access to justice. This includes the security and peace in our territories and an end to our criminalization. The international community needs to uphold  its obligation to ensure the  protection of our territories and resources and treat us with respect, dignity and equity to ensure the future of the planet and the people.

DECLARATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

IPMG statement – GOAL 16

I am Mario Nicacio, from the Wapichana indigenous people of the Brazilian Amazonia, I represent 305 indigenous peoples and 274 Brazilian languages. We live in 13% of the Brazilian territory. The current policy of the Bolsonaro government has a clear focus on the violation of our collective rights.

That is why we repudiate the government's actions of extermination that we continue to live and that are based in the colonial time, which seek us to renounce our most sacred right, the original right to lands, territories and natural resources that we have preserved for thousands of years and that form the basis of our existence, our identity and our ways of life. The current example is the political instrumentalization of the institutions and the breaking of the guarantees of governance of our rights by deliberately dismantling the National Foundation of the Indian.

We are experiencing a continuous attack by the State on our dignity and wellbeing as indigenous peoples, through the invasion of our indigenous lands. All these actions undermine the integrity of our territories and our future as indigenous peoples.

It is worrisome, the lack of compliance of the States with its obligations with international human rights instruments. As well as the recommendations made by the specialized procedures of the UN and the Universal Periodic Review, all of them aimed at preventing damages and guaranteeing the defense and promotion of the human rights of the indigenous peoples around the world. 

The recurrent violation of the rights of indigenous peoples increases the inequality and discrimination suffered by indigenous peoples.   What is happening in Brazil, reflects the experience  of millions  of indigenous peoples  around the world. The defense of our rights is resulting to  persecution, criminalization, and assassinations and other gross human rights violations against our leaders and communities. 

For Indigenous Peoples, Goal 16 should be translated into concrete actions the ensure the respect and protection of our rights; and our access to justice. This includes the security and peace in our territories and an end to our criminalization. The international community needs to uphold  its obligation to ensure the  protection of our territories and resources and treat us with respect, dignity and equity to ensure the future of the planet and the people.

Statement on Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

Indigenous Peoples Major Group (IPMG) 

Governments’ current economic priorities and policies being implemented with “business as usual” approach is adversely affecting decent work of indigenous peoples and are getting marginalized further.

For IPs, decent work implies recognition of our sustainable traditional occupation practices such as farming, seed preservation, shifting cultivation, hunting, fishing and transmission of indigenous knowledge, etc.These occupations contribute to enriching their livelihood security, cultural diversity, strengthening social relations and institutions. Therefore, their traditional occupation is an integral part of their identity and dignitywhich needs to be protected and integrated in the implementation of the SDGs with the pledge of leaving no one behind.

There are number of factors hindering or putting pressure in the protection and promotion of traditional occupations and some of these are:

• Government laws and regulations in various countries that are aimed at preventing or phasing out traditional occupations such as shifting cultivation and thereby criminalizing these activities.
• The economic growth targets and programmes are posing greater threat to our decent life and work as it further undermines our rights and traditional occupations. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) investment plans are focused on dams and extractive industries such as large-scale mining, which are mostly located in indigenous peoples’ territories. The infrastructure development plans include more than 100 large hydropower dams and major highways for ASEAN connectivity. These projects are causing conflicts resulting from displacements and outright disregard for indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and resources.
• Corporate agribusiness expansion plans for oil palm, corn production and sugar plantations are resulting in land grabbing and devastation of the economic base of indigenous peoples at a large-scale in many countries.

Further, the main targets for various “economic growth,” projects are in indigenous territories, but they have the least access to basic social services such as education and health services, etc.

It is important to note that,much evidence indicates that our traditional occupations include sustainable food systems and agro-ecological farming approaches that combine indigenous knowledge with multi-disciplinary scienceoffer sustainable solutions to the problems of environment and healthy food.

We Recommend the following:

• Ensure legal recognition of indigenous peoples’ lands, territories and resources and their traditional occupations.
• Stop criminalization and fully protect traditional occupations as decent work, including providing appropriate basic social services.
• Ensure the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of indigenous peoples regarding economic growth projects, plans and programmes affecting them.

High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development 2019

Statement of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group

Session on Least Developing Countries

The Indigenous Peoples Major Group expressed its concern on the  increasing authoritarian states and domination of elite political power in least developing countries across Asia, Latin America and Africa. This is setting limitations to the meaningful participation of civil society including indigenous peoples in the SDG implementation.  In their pursuit to achieve economic growth, large infrastructure projects are implemented in indigenous territories without meaningful consultations and consent of indigenous peoples.  Further, it is resulting  to the massive violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms, including access to information, freedom of  expression and assembly  and lack of access to Justice.  The Report of the  Inter-American Commission on Human Rights indicated that at least 20 indigenous leaders had been murdered in Guatemala in 2018, largely activists defending their lands, territories and other rights. In Cambodia  in 2018 alone, 34 indigenous Human Rights Defenders  including 12 women had been jailed with cases of incitement against the government, destruction of private property, theft/robbery and other criminal charges as a response to the legitimate actions of indigenous communities in defending their lands against economic land concessions. In Kenya, in December 2018,  35 human rights defenders challenging the implementation of mega-infrastructure projects  were subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, physical violence and threats by the Kenyan police and military personnel.

These cases represent the worsening  political environment  that is not aligned to principles of inclusive  and sustainable development and contrary to the pledge of leaving no one behind in the implementation of the SDGs. Further, indigenous peoples are contributing to sustainable development with their  low carbon lifestyles, and sustainable management of resources, but are treated as anti-development and persecuted when they defend their lands and resources against destructive projects being imposed on them in the name of sustainable development.   

It is thereby imperative that democratic participation based on the respect for human rights, including the collective rights of indigenous peoples should be guaranteed in order to address the gaps and achieve progress in the implementation of the SDGs.  Development actors including investors and businesses should also respect human rights in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  Violations of human rights including  the collective rights of indigenous peoples rights cannot be an excuse to reach economic growth targets to achieve sustainable development in least developing countries, and state’s accountability to its citizens, particularly to those left behind needs to be strengthened.