MaximsNewsNetwork: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HUMAN RIGHTS

MaximsNewsNetwork: 19 October 2009 - UNTV - United Nations: James Anaya, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedom of indigenous people says that the, "challenges are significant, there are problems that are systemic and patterns of violations for centuries and those patterns are hard to reverse."

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of indigenous peoples around the world, James Anaya today (19 October) briefed journalists at the United Nations.

Commenting on the situation of indigenous peoples in Latin America, Anaya said that although all countries on the continent had recognized the rights of the indigenous peoples there was still an enormous gap between the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples and the realization of those rights in the everyday lives of indigenous communities. He added that that gap needs to be narrowed.

On the situation between the indigenous peoples and transnational companies, the Special Rapporteur said that all over the world there was a disconnect between parts of government that addressed indigenous peoples rights and the parts that promoted natural resource development. Anaya said that a lot had to do with coordinating those two policies on the part of governments.

He stressed that the challenges were significant, because of problems that were systemic, patterns of violations that dated back centuries. Those patterns, he said, were hard to reverse, but Anaya added that little by little, I think that were seeing movement towards that reversal.

Commenting on climate change and its effects on indigenous communities, Anaya said it was the indigenous peoples that were the ones today suffering most from the effects of climate change, including indigenous peoples in the Arctic and in small island nations.

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• human rights
• James Anaya
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