Debate: Rights of indigenous peoples
Date: WEDNESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2020
Speaker: Helena Dalli
Language: EN

Despite some important gains in the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples in many countries of the world, in recent years we have also seen a number of setbacks. Most troubling are the high numbers of indigenous leaders and activists killed every year in the defence of their ancestral lands and the environment – at least 40 persons every year. Such tragic crimes underline the high relevance of our policies on support to indigenous peoples and human rights defenders working on land, environment, biodiversity and climate. Specifically on human rights defenders, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights funds the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism, which provided support to more than 30 000 HRDs from 2015 to 2019 and their families through a combination of short-, medium- and long-term initiatives. The EU’s support to land governance and secure access and tenure of land is equally important. While we continue to foster dialogue and promote respect for responsible land governance, the EU is supporting land governance in about 40 countries, with a total budget of 240 million euros. As an example, I mention the EU support to land governance in Colombia, which enabled the collective titling of 280 000 hectares, benefiting some 8 000 indigenous and Afro-Colombian families. Indigenous peoples also feature highly in our enhanced attention to the human rights and environment and climate nexus. During the European Development Days held in June of 2019, the EEAS organised an event dedicated to the strengthening of international solidarity and support to indigenous peoples and environmental human rights defenders. Another event at the EDDS on non-discrimination and the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation brought testimonies from indigenous experts, along with other experts on other frequently-discriminated groups. Furthermore, the 21st Annual EU NGO Human Rights Forum meeting in December 2019 under the theme of building a fair environmental future had a specific session dedicated to indigenous peoples. Indigenous experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, along with indigenous youth, had prominent speaking roles, allowing them – together with the invited indigenous participants – to bring forward concerns as possible contributions of indigenous peoples in building a fair environmental future. The afore-mentioned Council Conclusions underscore the crucial importance of further enhancing opportunities for dialogue and consultation with indigenous peoples at all levels of EU cooperation. This includes EU-funded programmes and projects under all aid modalities to secure the full participation of indigenous people; their free, prior, and informed consent in a meaningful and systematic way; and also to inform and underpin EU External Action policy and its implementation worldwide. In follow-up to the Council Conclusions, on 24 and 25 February in Brussels we will host a round table with indigenous peoples’ representatives as well as experts from the four indigenous socio-cultural regions of the world. The specific objectives of the round table will be the identification of the most prevalent and emerging threats to indigenous people’s rights, and to generate recommendations on how to best address indigenous people’s rights through EU policy and action. Mr President, please allow me now to mention briefly some examples of support that we provide in the context of indigenous peoples’ languages. In Namibia, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights contributed to the revitalisation of endangered indigenous languages. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, we have also helped develop a multilingual mother-tongue education programme in seven different tribal languages as part of the 500 million the EU invests annually in education programmes in around 60 countries across the world. Such programmes and projects can be seen as the EU’s contribution to the success of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2020-2029, which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December of last year. Let me assure you and the honourable Members of the EU’s strong commitment to the rights of indigenous peoples as part of our human rights policies. As such, we remain firmly committed to their promotion and respect through all aspects of EU external policies, cooperation and trade, as well as through political dialogues with third countries in regional and multilateral lateral fora and by giving financial support. Honourable Members, Mr President, thank you for your attention, and I look forward to our discussion tonight.