Everywhere, indigenous peoples are in the first line of the climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity, despite having done nothing to create these crises and having done everything to try to stop them, said this Monday the Secretary General from the ONU.
António Guterres spoke at the opening of the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the largest international gathering of Indigenous Peoples, which this year is attended by approximately 2 participants from different ethnic groups. The session will run until May XNUMX.
The Forum, held annually at UN Headquarters in New York, addresses some of the most urgent and interconnected challenges facing indigenous peoples nowadays.
In his speech, Guterres highlighted the marginalization, discrimination, unemployment, poverty and violence terrible that indigenous peoples face, especially when they try to defend the environment.
“Evictions and illegal exploitation continue to harm their people and seriously violate their rights (…) And very often They are excluded from decisions that directly affect their lands and territories, threatening their ways of life and food security,” he noted.
Illegal mineral extraction
The UN chief referred in particular to mineral extraction activities, which are often carried out outside the law and severely harm indigenous communities.
“An imminent threat is growing: the race for minerals critical to the global energy transition, much of which is located in or near Indigenous Peoples’ territories. As demand increases, we are witnessing dispossession, exclusion, and marginalization in decision-making, in addition to the fact that The rights of Indigenous Peoples are trampled and their health is endangered, all while being denied the benefits they deserve,” he emphasized.
Poisoned water and food
Guterres cited as an example the mercury contamination caused by illegal mining, which is harming indigenous peoples around the world by “poisoning their water and food supplies.”
In this regard, he noted that Indigenous peoples are recognized and valued in UN decisions and agreements, and that they have contributed to the work of the UN Panel on Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition.
The Panel's principles and recommendations are based on the human rights, including Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Participants at the opening of the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Four areas of action
Addressing this year's summit, which focuses on the implementation of the Declaration in Member States and the United Nations system, Guterres called for urgent action in four specific areas:
- Strengthening the Permanent Forum
- Recognition of countries for indigenous leadership and rights
- Increased funding for indigenous peoples
- Full implementation of all recommendations of the Panel on Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition
Pioneers of conservation and sustainable use
The Secretary-General stated that the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous peoples are “pioneering models of conservation and sustainable use".
Traditional indigenous practices are examples of the commitment of “live in harmony with Mother Earth and with the well-being and rights of future generations.”
António Guterres concluded by insisting that the world has much to learn from wisdom and the approaches of indigenous peoples, which “prioritize ecosystem health over short-term economic gain.”