‘Indigenous Peoples Project’ – GHR IPP

Geneva for Human Rights is launching its Indigenous Peoples Project (GHR IPP) – february 2018
The aim of this project is to foster true knowledge, spur reliable expertise and induce positive change on the issue of the survival, protection and promotion of Indigenous Peoples over the world.

In the frame of its West Papua Project (GHR WPP), Geneva for Human Rights is deeply concerned by the situation in regards of the violations by states and non-sates actors of the basic and fundamental human rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The goal of the West Papua Project and Indigenous Peoples Project is to focus on International Human Rights Law (IHRL), International Investment Law (IIL), International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Penal and Civil Law (ICPL), Human Rights Law and International Trade Law (ITL) .
Complementary to the scope of the rules, customs and regulations affecting the rights of indigenous peoples, Geneva for Human Rights will also as cover all subjects and matters related to the survival of the indigenous peoples and communities in the world.
 

For years, GHR has been involved in the promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples. GHR members contributed greatly to the establishment of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP, 1982), of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2000), of theSpecial Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001), and of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP, replacing the WGIP, 2007). The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the General Assembly in September 2007 supplements the rights of indigenous peoples with tangible standards.

Since 2014, GHR convenes an annual Expert Seminar on indigenous peoples. The Seminar of 6 March 2014 contributed towards the preparation of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (22-23 September 2014, New York). The other Seminars were held during the annual sessions of the EMRIP and focused on the implementation of both the UN Declaration and the Outcome Document of the World Conference.

Action Plan for 2020: GHR Courses to the Indigenous Fellows of the annual OHCHR Fellowship Programme (May and June 2020);Involvement in the selection of the new Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples’ rights;Expert Seminar during the session of EMRIP session (June 2020), with a focus on the right to self-determination (main theme of EMRIP-2020);Follow-up and consolidating the networks;Participating in the debate of the HR-Council (September);
GHR fourth Expert Seminar on Indigenous Peoples:  (Geneva, Palais des Nations, 13 July 2018)

The 2018 Expert Seminar on indigenous peoples took place on 13 July 2018 in the Palais des Nations. After the 2017 GHR Seminar on ‘Indigenous Peoples: Implementing the UN Declaration’, indigenous partners expressed the wish to focus on the study of EMRIP’s experts on the fundamental rule of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)[1].

Courses to UN Indigenous Fellows (OHCHR, Geneva, 29 June 2018)

With its Indigenous Fellowship Programme, every year in Geneva the OHCHR trains a group of indigenous representatives from all the regions who also attend the EMRIP session. In 2018, GHR again contributed to thisFellowship Programme. On 29 June, Adrien-Claude Zoller gave a GHR Course on the UN and indigenous peoples. 33 indigenous representatives attended. They came from Burundi, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Uganda, Burma, Borneo (Malaysia), Philippines, Guam (USA), New Caledonia, West Papua, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Surinam, Venezuela, the Russian Federation (7) and Canada.

            Additional briefings were given to the Spanish-speaking Fellows and to six indigenous representatives selected to take the floor during the GHR Expert Seminar on Indigenous Peoples (13 July).


[1] The proceeding of this Seminar are reported hereafter under ‘GHR Department of Human Rights Policy Studies’.