6 August 2004
The Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, issued the following statement on the occasion of United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 9 August:
"On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I pay tribute to all indigenous individuals and organizations, an in particular indigenous women, engaged in activities aimed at promoting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of their communities and their peoples wherever they live.
"This year marks the end of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Despite the progress made over the past ten years, at the national and international levels, indigenous peoples the world over continue to be among the most marginalized and dispossessed sectors of society, the victims of perennial prejudice and discrimination. It is discouraging to see the obstacles, gaps and challenges indigenous peoples face daily as they seek to exercise their fundamental rights. Indeed, despite the development of international human rights standards, including the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (‘Declaration on Human Rights Defenders’), the persecution against indigenous human rights activists continues.
“I wish to take this opportunity to express my serious concern about continuing reports of gross human rights violations against indigenous peoples in many parts of the world. A recent example is the murder only a few days ago of an indigenous human rights activist from Colombia with whom I met in the course of my last visit to that country in March. The brutal killing of Fredy Arias, in Valledupar, on 4 August, allegedly by a member of a paramilitary group, prompts me to call on the Government of Colombia to investigate this and other such violations, to find those responsible and to bring them to justice without delay.
“Indigenous peoples are also the victims of other types of violations. In too many places they lack access to basic services and continue to suffer multiple forms of discrimination elsewhere. I call on Governments to make real progress on their commitment to improve the living and human rights conditions of indigenous peoples. Rhetoric must become a thing of the past; action is what is needed now. In this context, significant progress in negotiations towards the adoption of the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples would prove tremendously useful to build confidence between indigenous peoples and governments”.