PrepCom I: Statement by Indigenous Peoples |
Indigenous Peoples as a Major Group of Agenda 21 and the Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The following observations and suggestions are based on decades of collective work done by hundreds of Indigenous Nations and organizations at the international level as well as the grassroots level. In order to assess achievements and failures in sustainable development since the 1992 Earth Summit, and to arrive at specific proposals for action, the CSD Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus has begun a process of facilitating consultations in Asia and the Pacific, as well as in South, Central and North America. We will do our part to encourage the broadest possible input and participation in the regional and local preparatory processes, as supported by General Assembly Resolution 55/199. We strongly urge that member states and the Secretariat insure that our Peoples participation will be fully informed and effective, in keeping with recent decisions of COPS-5 of the CBD, and other instruments. We strongly urge that the process for setting the agenda and determining themes for review be pro-active in institutionalizing Indigenous Peoples’ full and effective Rio+10 participation, for while we are the most historically marginalized stakeholders, we also actively contribute to sustainable development for all Peoples of the world merely through our continued practice of traditional knowledge and cultures, merely by our existence as self determined Peoples. Our contributions are recognized throughout the UN system, especially in Agenda 21, Chapter 26, the Report of UNCED and GA Resolution 48/163, which underscores "the vital role of Indigenous Peoples and their communities in the interrelationship between the natural environment and its sustainable development…" We should therefore participate fully and as a distinct Major Group in the Rio+10 process. The Rio+10 agenda-setting process should note that a recent UNEP Report re-affirms the obvious link between cultural diversity and biological diversity. Let me share some extraordinary statistics with you: Indigenous Peoples are estimated to make up only about 5% of the world population, yet we represent about 90% of the world’s cultural diversity. It is no accident that over 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity is found within our territories, since our traditional practices within our territories (including forest and freshwater management, and sustainable farming) have allowed us to safeguard the well being of all life forms. We therefore urge an official Rio+10 thematic focus on Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity. Rio+10 is expected by many to result in specific time-bound commitments for achieving the goals of sustainable development. We therefore urge that the Rio+10 results include specific commitments to harmonize development policy with international instruments, such as the CBD, ILO Convention 169 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. A multi-stakeholder dialogue is planned for the Rio+10 process, in which Major Groups are expected to announce their commitments to the next phase of work in Sustainable Development. But as a prerequisite for Indigenous Peoples to contribute to sustainable development, our human and collective rights must be observed and respected, as proscribed by international law. We have proven that our resistance to non-sustainable forms of development, such as oil drilling, mining and large hydro power, has contributed to the goals of Agenda 21, usually in spite of the actions of industry, governments and multi-lateral lending institutions. Therefore, the Rio+10 agenda should allow for action-oriented discussion to address the forces that have caused the CSD to take backward rather than forward steps toward sustainable development. Among those are globalization, privatization and the growing influence of industry within the UN, which was founded in 1945 as an organization of Peoples. We look forward to a constructive phase of action toward achieving the sustainable development goals set out for the world community in 1992. We pray that it is a phase characterized by political will, and a true understanding of what was actually being supported by the Brundtland Commission: the inter-relatedness of all life forms, across many generations of life on Earth. Thank you, all our relations.
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