Agenda Item 8: Discussion of theme “Indigenous peoples’ collective rights to lands, territories and resources,” XVII Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
17/04/2018
Chairperson of the 17th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,
Elders and Honorable Members of the Permanent Forum,
Indigenous representatives,
Distinguished delegates,
FAO would like to congratulate Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine for her election as UNPFII Chair.
Congratulations to ECOSOC and the UNPFII for selecting the theme “Indigenous peoples’ collective rights to lands, territories and resources”, a topic on which we all need to do more together if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the 5 year anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests celebrated in October 2016, a high level panelist reminded us that if indigenous peoples were to live in one country, this country would be the third in the World in terms of population.
Yet, policies and initiatives do not take into account indigenous peoples knowledge systems and wisdom.
Plenty is to be done if we are to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
The Voluntary Guidelines promote the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests and consider all forms of tenure: public, private, communal, collective, indigenous and customary.
While there have been improvements in registering private lands, we are behind in the recognition of collective rights to land.
This lack of recognition and the lack of respect of Free Prior and Informed Consent, pushes indigenous peoples into conditions of vulnerability.
The Voluntary Guidelines are also critical to advance on collective rights to Forestry and Fisheries.
FAO’s work in support of fisheries is complemented with the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries.
When the rights to land are respected, Biodiversity is preserved and indigenous food systems prosper.
This is why since 2015 we work on indigenous food systems, to reshape the current food thinking and offer sustainable alternatives in the midst of climate change.
Ensuring the rights to lands, territories and resources and the continuation of indigenous food systems requires support to intra and intergenerational knowledge exchanges. After working one year with the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, we are expecting in 2019 to have the first session of the Indigenous Youth Forum.
Similarly, and recognizing the role that indigenous women play in food systems, in January 2018 FAO and Mexico held a Ministerial-level meeting with Indigenous Women to discuss intercultural policies and launch a Global campaign on indigenous women.
Whether men or women, elders or youth, , FAO, as a specialized UN agency with the mandate on food security will continue working on indigenous food systems and land tenure - in the context of agriculture, forestry and fisheries - with FPIC as a central element of our work.
Thank you.