A/69/267
Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights
Council on the rights of indigenous peoples
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, pursuant to Human
Rights Council resolution 24/10, presents this, her first report, to the General
Assembly. Given that the Assembly is currently in the process of reviewing and
adopting the post-2015 development agenda, including global sustainable
development goals, the Special Rapporteur takes this opportunity to provide some
thoughts on this crucial issue for indigenous peoples, in the hope that these
comments may help guide Member States and others as they reflect on development
priorities.
The progressive achievement the economic, social and cultural rights of
indigenous peoples poses a double challenge to the dominant development paradigm:
on the one hand, indigenous peoples have the right to be fully included in, and to
benefit from, global efforts to achieve an adequate standard of living and to the
continuous improvement of their living conditions. On the other, their right to define
and pursue their self-determined development path and priorities must be respected in
order to safeguard their cultural integrity and strengthen their potential for sustainable
development. These two concerns are addressed through the complementary and cross cutting principles of non-discrimination and self-determination, as enshrined in the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well in the full
range of international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The shortcomings of the Millennium Development Goals to embody human
rights and to achieve indigenous peoples’ economic, social and cultural rights must
inform the new generation of sustainable development goals. Key areas to be
addressed include: the diversification of development paradigms and strategies; the
construction of new models for partnerships with indigenous peoples; the
establishment of monitoring mechanisms through disaggregation of data and
monitoring of key attributes pertaining to the right to self-determination; the
acknowledgment of — and action to combat — discrimination against indigenous
peoples in both rich and poor countries across the globe; delivery of culturally
appropriate social services; respect for traditional occupations and labour rights; the
design of effective measures to overcome discrimination against indigenous women;
and improved governance in the context of national and international development
initiatives, including mechanisms to ensure consultation, participation and free, prior
and informed consent.
As the world prepares to define the next generation of sustainable development
goals and the post-2015 development agenda to be achieved by 2030, the Special
Rapporteur highlights the need to look back at the experiences generated in the
context of the framework and implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
in order to avoid repeating mistakes, learn from constructive approaches and ensure
that the next generation of global development goals and related targets and
indicators are developed on the basis of an informed background. The Special
Rapporteur offers a series of recommendations for addressing these concerns in the
context of the forthcoming policies and strategies to reach global sustainable
development goals.
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