Dimapur, August 9 (MExN): In a message to the Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today said the world’s indigenous peoples have preserved a vast amount of humanity’s cultural history, language and have inherited and passed on a wealth of knowledge, artistic forms and religious and cultural traditions. But Secretary General Ban said on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, they still experience racism, poor health and disproportionate poverty.
“On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we reaffirm our commitment to their wellbeing,” said the UN chief in his statement on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The landmark United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in 2007, lays out a framework for governments to use in strengthening relationships with indigenous peoples and protecting their human rights. “Since then, we have seen more governments working to redress social and economic injustices, through legislation and other means, and indigenous peoples’ issues have become more prominent on the international agenda than ever before,” said ban.
But Ban said there are more that have to be done. “Indigenous peoples still experience racism, poor health and disproportionate poverty. In many societies, their languages, religions and cultural traditions are stigmatized and shunned,” he said.
He referred to the first-ever UN report on the state of the world’s indigenous peoples in January 2010. It set out some alarming statistics; in some countries, he said, indigenous peoples are 600 times more likely to contract tuberculosis than the general population. In others, an indigenous child can expect to die twenty years before his non-indigenous compatriots.
He also referred to the theme of this year’s Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is indigenous filmmakers. According to Ban Ki-moon, they “give us windows into their communities, cultures and history.” Their work ‘connects us to belief systems and philosophies; it captures both the daily life and the spirit of indigenous communities’. “As we celebrate these contributions, I call on governments and civil society to fulfill their commitment to advancing the status of indigenous peoples everywhere,” the UNC chief said.
Also, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact urged all Indigenous Peoples around the world to persevere in their movements and to broaden and strengthen their solidarity in the national and regional levels. Secretary General of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) Joan Carling said the Indigenous Peoples must build ‘long-lasting relationships’ to realize collective rights to achieve peace and justice. “As we celebrate this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in partnership with states, UN agencies and local and international donors, we must seek out ways and means to build long-lasting relationships towards the realization of the collective rights of indigenous peoples and in achieving peace, justice, equity and sustainable development for all,” Carling said.
With a population of approximately 200 million, Asia has the most number of indigenous peoples. The majority belongs to the most discriminated and marginalized sectors of the society, living below the poverty threshold and having little access to basic social services and political decision-making processes. Although they are referred to as hill tribes or ethnic minorities, among others, the majority of them are denied of their distinct identities as indigenous peoples, consequently denying them as well of the recognition of their collective rights as embodied in the UNDRIP. In certain countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia, many indigenous peoples continue to be denied even their right to citizenship, consequently denying them of their right to basic social services.
“This situation is leading to the further exploitation and extraction of the lands, territories and resources of indigenous peoples by states and corporations; the undermining of their cultures through commercialization; the denial of their free prior and informed consent on matters that affect them, including the formulation of laws, policies and programmes, among others,” Carling said. ‘This is further aggravated by climate change mitigation and adaptation actions by states and others such as massive oil palm plantations and other bio-fuels, large hydro-dams and, possibly, REDD Plus (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).’
“This situation is already threatening the wellbeing and survival with dignity of indigenous peoples across Asia. Unless states recognize indigenous peoples as distinct peoples entitled to their collective rights - especially to their lands, territories and resources - the social injustices committed to indigenous peoples will only worsen,” Carling said.
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