A/HRC/27/52
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
11 August 2014
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-seventh session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous
peoples, Victoria Tauli Corpuz
Summary
The present report is submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of
indigenous peoples to the Human Rights Council pursuant to its resolutions 15/14 and 24/9.
It is the first report submitted by Victoria Tauli Corpuz, who assumed her mandate on 2
June 2014. In the report, the Special Rapporteur presents some preliminary reflections on
the status of operationalization of international standards relating to indigenous peoples and
her vision for her work as Special Rapporteur in that context. There are a number of
addenda to the present report, all reports by the previous Special Rapporteur.
The Special Rapporteur notes that there is a strong legal and policy foundation upon
which to move forward with the implementation of indigenous peoples’ rights, and there
have been many advances, which the Special Rapporteur hopes to examine and document
during the course of her mandate. Nevertheless, many challenges continue to confront
indigenous peoples throughout the world. In accordance with Human Rights Council
resolution 15/14, a core aspect of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur is to examine ways
and means of overcoming existing obstacles to the full and effective protection of the rights
of indigenous peoples. As an initial step, and given that the present report is her first to the
Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur identifies in broad strokes some of those
obstacles, which are found to some extent in all countries in which indigenous peoples are
living.
The obstacles identified in section III of the report include (a) the failure or
reluctance of governments to recognize indigenous peoples; (b) challenges in the
development of practical implementation measures; (c) reconciliation and redress for
historical wrongs yet to be completed; (d) ongoing negative attitudes towards indigenous
peoples on the part of broader societies in which they live; and (e) social and economic
conditions preventing the full exercise of indigenous peoples’ human rights. The list is
neither comprehensive nor exhaustive, and the obstacles identified are in many ways
interrelated. It is meant, however, to provide a framework for understanding where further
work is needed and to assist in developing measures for action. While the Special
GE.14-11735 (E)
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