States Must Act Now to Protect Indigenous Peoples During Migration

Indigenous men and women of Nuñoa in Puno, Peru, spin and weave garments based on the fiber of the alpacas. Credit: SGP-GEF-UNDP Peru/Enrique Castro-MendívilBy UN experts* on Indigenous PeoplesGENEVA/NEW YORK, Aug 8 2018 (IPS)States around the world must take effective action to guarantee the human rights of indigenous peoples, says a group of UN experts. In a joint statement marking International day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the experts say it is crucial that the rights of indigenous peoples are realised when they migrate or are displaced from their lands: “In many parts of the world, indigenous peoples have become migrants because they are fleeing economic deprivation, forced displacement, environmental disasters including climate change impacts, social and political unrest, and militarisation. Indigenous peoples have shown remarkable resilience and determination in these extreme situations.We wish to remind States that all indigenous peoples, whether they migrate or remain, have rights under international instruments, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.While States have the sovereign prerogative to manage their borders, they must also recognise international human rights standards and ensure that migrants are not subjected to violence, discrimination, or other treatment that would violate their rights. In addition, states must recognise indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination; lands, territories and resources; to a n...

Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - August 8, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: UN experts on Indigenous Peoples Tags: Climate Change Development & Aid Education Food & Agriculture Global Headlines Health Human Rights Indigenous Rights IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Migration & Refugees TerraViva United Nations International Day of the World's Indig Source Type: news