UN High Level Political Forum

Un Headquarters in New York

July 9-18,2018

IPMG STATEMENT ON THE MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION: GOAL 17

The means of implementation should take into account the historical and unjust plunder of indigenous peoples lands, territories and resources of indigenous peoples, which is one of the main reason why we are marginalized and furthest left behind. Colonization and corporate greed have bled us   and disempowered us from being stewards of the planet for the future generation. The historical debt of industrialized nations and corporations to indigenous peoples within their countries and in their former colonies warrant decisive actions for just compensation, restitution and regeneration through the provision of adequate financial and other forms of appropriate resources and accountability to indigenous peoples to address this historical legacy.

Further, indigenous peoples are systematically discriminated in having adequate and appropriate social services such as education, health, energy, basic infrastructures, housing and employment which are the obligations of states to its citizens. We thereby recommend for the allocation of adequate funds and resources and engagement with indigenous peoples for participatory planning and to develop specific and targeted measure to ensure that indigenous peoples are not left behind. 

Download the document to read the full statement.

IPMG Statement:

SDG 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Today, there are approximately 370 million Indigenous Peoples living in 90 countries worldwide. Indigenous Peoples constitute about 5% of the world population yet are overrepresented in almost every poor measure of modern life. In settled nations such as Australia, Canada and the United States, the majority – as much as 71% - live in metropolitan areas.

Whether through displacement, migration or settler intrusion on our homelands, Indigenous people have been separated from country and each other.

 Download the whole statement.

This is the VNR report of Mali from the perspective of indigenous peoples.

In our opinion, all of the SDGs are at a very low level of implementation in Mali, and in most cases almost zero in many parts of the country, particularly in the North and Center. It is in these regions that the majority of the indigenous communities in Mali and/or vulnerable pastoral communities live. Access to school due to insecurity is on a very worrying scale, especially for girls who experience forced and early marriages due to the resistance cultural barriers.

Read more of the report. Download the document.

Review of the SDG Implementation

SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Statement from the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group 

These are the recommendations for the Voluntary National Review of the countries in Latin America specifically the following:

Colombia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Mexico

Download the document to read the review > English

Checkout the Spanish version here > FILAC

STATEMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MAJOR GROUP 

GOAL 12:  Responsible Production and Consumption

Indigenous peoples across the globe are keepers of lands, territories and resources which they have conserve and manage sustainably for our collective survival and for the future generation. Indigenous Peoples’ have the least carbon footprint and our ecological economies thrive with our practice of sustainable traditional occupations that also embodies our diverse cultures, identities and distinct ways of life. Our production and consumption system is guided by our values of sharing, mutual cooperation, reciprocity and conservation and regeneration for the future generation.

Download the whole document.

Statement for Interactive Dialogue – SDG 7 Event

The Indigenous Peoples Major Group to the SDGs would like to make a contribution to this discussion, and call for stronger rights-based policies related to SDG 7.

While representing only 5% of the global population, indigenous peoples make up a staggering one third of the world’s 900 million extremely poor rural people. Given that the rural poor form the bulk of those without access to energy, indigenous people are a critical demographic that needs to be put at the centre of the global dialogue on energy if SDG 7 on ensuring access to energy for all is to be achieved. 

Despite this fact, indigenous peoples suffer invisibility when it comes to energy access. There is little disaggregated data on indigenous peoples’ access to. Major reports from initiatives aligned with SDG 7 either don’t mention, or only superficially refer to, indigenous peoples and fail to examine their unique challenges as a distinct group. 

At the same time, indigenous territories host renewable energy projects without meaningful consultation and consent by indigenous peoples and in violation to their rights to their lands and resources. These projects have resulted in conflicts, displacements, destruction of livelihoods, and have violated indigenous peoples’ rights and undermined their self-determined development. Those who have spoken out against these projects have at times been threatened or murdered. 

It is thereby imperative that the implementation of Goal 7 is guided by clear policies on the respect and protection of human rights, ensure equitable benefits for communities, and mechanisms for participation and inclusion of indigenous peoples and marginalized groups in the planning (including decision-making), implementation and monitoring. This will also ensure that the interlinkages of Goal 7 with other Goals for positive outcomes will be achieved such as Goals 1,2, 5, 10, 13, 17 among others in the context of “ leaving no one behind”.

Thus, activities to implement SDG 7 affecting indigenous peoples should adhere to existing international human rights laws and norms relating to indigenous peoples. The two main international instruments that explicitly define indigenous peoples’ rights under international law, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the ILO Convention No. 169, should guide sustainable energy related activities.

Given these significant challenges and also opportunities, the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group on the SDGs is developing an indigenous peoples-led and rights-based the multi-stakeholder partnership called Right Energy Partnership (REP) with indigenous peoples in order to:

• Empower indigenous communities in their self-determined sustainable development, through access to appropriate renewable energy ensuring equitable and inclusive benefits for communities
• Ensure the protection of rights to prevent the adverse impacts of renewable energy development on indigenous communities; and
• Strengthen knowledge exchange, solidarity and collaboration between indigenous peoples and other actors to contribute towards the goals of the Partnership.

We call on actors in the room today to join us in this innovative and rights-based partnership to achieve Goal 7 and related goals in achieving sustainable development for indigenous peoples in line with the pledge of “leaving no one behind”.

We would be happy to share more information,  and invite you to a consultation on the Partnership that will take place on Thursday 19 April between 1:15-2:30 in Conference Room S-2725 BR on the 27^th Floor.

Contact person:

Joan Carling

Focal Person/Convenor

Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development

Website: www.indigenouspeoples-sdg.org

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

July 18, 2017

Of the 44 VNR countries, 24 countries have indigenous peoples who are the furthest left behind. However, most of the VNR reports from these countries did not make explicit reference to indigenous peoples in achieving the SDGs at the local and national levels.

Likewise, while some states did consultations with civil society organizations such as in Bostwana, they only included big umbrella organizations, which do not represent indigenous peoples according to Mr. Keikabile Mogodu of the indigenous San community. Tahal Thami expressed his frustration that while indigenous leaders participated in consultation process, there is no recognition of indigenous peoples as distinct group who represent approximately 37% of the total population in Nepal. Additionally, the views and recommendations of Nepal’s indigenous peoples were not reflected in the national development plan or the report of the government of Nepal. Inter-connected to the situation concerning consultations and active engagement. Ms. Tarcila Rivera, an indigenous expert and leader stressed the continuing discrimination of indigenous peoples in the development process in Peru.

United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

UN Headquarters, 10 – 19 July, 2017

Session 6

Thematic review

Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world:

Multi-stakeholder perspectives

Tuesday, 11 July 2017, 15.00-18.00, Conference Room 4

 Delivered by Ms. Patricia Wattimena, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group

Indigenous women face multiple discrimination factors and dis-empowerment due to the intersectionality of their status as women, as indigenous and as poor. They are victims of discriminatory policies and the prevailing patriarchal system of most indigenous institutions resulting in all forms of violence and exclusion in decision-making processes. Indigenous women have less access to education, health services and employment, among others. Further, militarization and conflicts are exacerbating the vulnerability of indigenous women to violence.

As indigenous peoples of the Pacific we believe that beyond every horizon lies undiscovered opportunities and solutions. 

This fed our thirst for exploring and what made us become known as the way finders, the greatest explorers of the ocean.

There is lack of data on indigenous peoples’ health and social conditions as well as lack of information, analysis, and evaluation of programmes and services to address these. A report of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues noted that “Indigenous peoples face a myriad of obstacles when accessing public health systems. These include the lack of health facilities in indigenous communities and cultural differences with the health care providers such as differences in languages, illiteracy and lack of understanding of indigenous culture and traditional health care systems. There is also an absence of adequate health insurance or lack of economic capacity to pay for services if it is available.”  The health and wellbeing of indigenous peoples is also linked to the overall condition of their natural environment and condition of impoverishment.

The Indigenous Peoples Major Group (IPMG) underlines that the recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources is central to eradicating poverty and ensuring that indigenous peoples are not left behind in the 2030 Agenda.  This is one of the main lessons learned in the implementation of the MDGs in the context of acknowledging the multi-dimensions of poverty.

STATEMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MAJOR GROUP

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Infrastructure projects are major drivers in the transformation of lands, waters and territories of indigenous peoples in developed and developing countries. These unjust transfers of customary lands and of resources are often marred by conflicts, gross human rights violations, and killing of human rights and environmental defenders. Bertha Caceres in Honduras, a leader of the Lenca peoples against Central America’s biggest hydropower dams exemplifies the grim reality that 40% of land and environment defenders killed in 2015 are from indigenous communities, as revealed by a Global Witness report.

Mostly undertaken as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), these contracts for infrastructure development ignore the necessary social and community partnerships, which is the third pillar of sustainable development. It is alarming that the Association of South East Asia Nations- ASEAN plans to build the ASEAN power grid, Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline, ASEAN Highway Network, and 11 hydroelectric power projects, which has started to displace indigenous peoples and local communities.

Even in North America, pipelines and resource extraction projects come at the expense of the territorial integrity, economic and environmental sustainability, and health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. These projects often threaten our sacred water and ecosystems vital for mitigating and adapting to climate change, and are pushed through despite treaty violations and the unjust use of militarized domestic police forces in violation of standing treaties and the “free prior and informed consent” of Indigenous Peoples.

We thereby recommend to States and the private sector to:

1. Institutionalize the full and effective participation of affected Indigenous communities in conducting independent human rights, environmental and impact studies
2. Ensure the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples in projects with potential adverse impacts on us, along with the respect and protection of our  right  to  lands, territories and resources, and to self-determined development
3. Adopt appropriate policies and guidelines for equitable benefit-sharing, accountability and transparency of States and the private sector in infrastructure development.
4. Establish effective grievance mechanisms for indigenous peoples and ensure the protection land and environment rights defenders

19 June 2017

"Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world"

“Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions through promoting sustainable development, expanding opportunities and addressing related challenges”

7 June 2017

"Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world"

“Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions through promoting sustainable development, expanding opportunities and addressing related challenges”

Extract of the GA Resolution on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2016 (A/RES/71/178) related to 2030 Agenda

Welcoming the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development1, stressing the need to ensure that no one is left behind, including indigenous peoples, who will benefit from and participate in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and encouraging Member States to give due consideration to all the rights of indigenous peoples while implementing the 2030 Agenda...

The theme of this year’s High Level Political Forum is "Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world". Based on this theme, it is imperative for States and development actors to address the failures and gaps of the MDGs that resulted to indigenous being left behind. These gaps include lack of disaggregated data based on indigenous identifier; non-recognition of indigenous peoples as distinct groups with specific perspectives and rights; lack of meaningful participation in designing and implementing development interventions, which consequently were not culturally sensitive and the focus on economic growth with less attention to environment and social dimensions resulting to negative outcomes for indigenous peoples. We also want to stress the urgent need to legally recognize and secure the customary lands and resources of indigenous peoples, and empowerment of indigenous women are key elements in achieving the SDGs.