Document on the Launching of the "FAO Policy" on Indigenous Tribes and Peoples

DOCUMENT ON THE LAUNCHING OF THE "FAO POLICY"
ON INDIGENOUS TRIBES AND PEOPLES

Document on the Launching of the "FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples," submitted by Saœl Vicente V‡squez, member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and focal point of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC). Secretary General of Unidad de la Fuerza Ind’gena y Campesina (UFIC "Indigenous and Peasant Strength in Unity") and member of the Board of Directors of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC).

Rome, Italy, November 26, 2010

Source: International Indian Treaty Council: http://www.treatycouncil.org/new_page_524122421311111113.htm. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), "The FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples" is available as a pdf at: http://www.treatycouncil.org/PDF/Pol“tica_de_la_FAO_sobre_Pueblos_Ind%C3%ADgenas_En.pdf.

It is an honor for me to be present on this occasion for the public launching of the FAO policy on Indigenous Peoples approved by Mr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the FAO, whom I take this opportunity to recognize. Naturally, I thank the members of FAO's Inter-Departmental Working Group on Indigenous Issues, who for years have been waging this battle to approve a policy for Indigenous Peoples. I particularly thank Ms. Marcela Villareal, who heads up that department. I would also like to give my special recognition to Ms. Regina Laub, who in recent years worked hard for this policy's approval, as well as Ms. Eve Crowley and Mr. Parviz Koohafkan, with whom I have closely worked ever since the SARD Initiative. Without a shadow of a doubt, I would also like to recognize the team of collaborators of that department who have continually supported us. And I also wish to recognize my indigenous brothers and sisters who contributed with their thoughts and experience for the development of this important document that we have just heard.

Without any doubt whatsoever, this document is a historic achievement in the struggle of Indigenous Peoples for the recognition of their rights, and now, above all to attain their full and effective participation in the fight against hunger, poverty and the pillage of their natural resources.

This document, in keeping with the mandate established in Articles 41 and 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, shows us that it is possible to implement the content of the Declaration despite the fears that were expressed during its adoption process. For that reason, it is important for me to recognize the effort of the States that at first voted against the Declaration but have now adopted it. Such is the case of the recent decision of the Canadian government. I thus recall the words of my brother Carlos Mamani, who is still the chair of the Permanent Forum, who called upon the other States to adopt this important instrument for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Yet this also responds to certain petitions and recommendations made by Indigenous Peoples and by the Permanent Forum itself, such as the Anchorage Declaration on Climate Change and the recommendations of the 8th session of the Permanent Forum.

The "FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples" as we have just heard, contains several sections that give it coherency.

The first notable aspect is that its contents are based on a series of international instruments that recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, it is not based on those instruments alone, but also on other additional Human Rights instruments, as can be seen in one of its annexes. I would simply like to indicate in this part that although the Declaration is indeed a major advance in the struggle for recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, what it contains are minimum rights standards. Thus, more work is still needed to achieve full recognition the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Next, the FAO policy has a section with eight principles that I believe reflect concerns indicated by Indigenous Peoples in a number of Declarations and in their interventions at the sessions of the Permanent Forum. To be precise, it should be mentioned that the Indigenous Peoples have demanded "Development with Culture and Identity," as an alternative proposal to the development projects of the capitalism and neoliberalism, which, in the past 40 years, have taken root in their territories, whose sole result has been poverty, marginalization, displacement, pillage and now persecution and murder when they have dared to defend their territories against major mega-projects.

For that reason it is praiseworthy that the FAO Policy includes as one of its principles the Right to the Free, Prior and Reported Consent (FPIC). Yet I would add that it is not enough to establish "Consultation processes." Indeed, what gives FPIC binding legal force and effect is the obtaining of free prior and informed consent from them prior to establishing any project or initiative that affects them in one way or another, as well as during the execution of the project or initiative in question.

Also praiseworthy is the fact that the policy includes recognition of their Cultural Rights as a principle. Indeed, we have had to confront an approach that seeks to subordinate the uses and customs of the Indigenous Peoples to the laws and constitutions of the Nation States. Accordingly, since then, recognition has been sought for what the Indigenous Peoples have called their "normative systems." I would like the FAO to perhaps consider this proposal.

Thirdly, the document addresses part of what is considered its priority areas. Undoubtedly, the seven areas indicated there are areas that Indigenous Peoples are currently demanding to work on, participate in, be heard on and have resolved for them. It is especially worth indicating that all the areas are closely interrelated and that this FAO policy should consider them jointly and not separately. For instance, the area of natural resources, environment and genetic resources is closely related to the area of climate change and bioenergy, and, as goes without saying, the area of lands and territories.

In other words, if respect is not ensured for Indigenous Peoples' right to territory which, in addition, is established in the principles, as well as their right to self-determination, little can be accomplished to combat the deterioration of the environment and the increasing loss of natural resources, or natural assets as now they are now called by the social movement organizations. It is even worse when, in response to the effects of the climate crisis, "clean" solutions of the agro-fuels type are imposed to generate energy, when the fact is that those projects, imposed without their consent, have not resolved the problem of climate change, or that of hunger and pillage of their natural assets (water, forests, mineral, flora, fauna), as was just indicated by the organizations that participated at the meeting in Lima, Peru in connection with the upcoming COP16 on Climate Change.

Without any doubt whatsoever, the proposals made by this FAO policy are an important step on the road that the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples themselves are promoting. Yet I would be so bold as to suggest that the FAO could well propose to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) that a moratorium be placed on the process whereby large international companies take over the lands of the Peoples, until the "Guidelines on Land Tenancy, Territories and Natural Assets" are approved, as agreed at the last session of the CFS in October of this year. I would also be so bold as to suggest two more areas. One of them would work on the rights of Mother Earth. Perhaps FAO would want to take that up under the area of "traditional knowledge systems and sustainable ways of life." The other suggestion is to include the area of Food Sovereignty; perhaps FAO would want to take this up under the area of "Food Security, nutrition and the Right to Food.

In the fourth place, the document entitled "FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples," defines its core Objectives. Of the seven, Objectives 3, 4 and 5 strike my attention, not because the others are less important, but because I would like to connect them precisely to the following section that discusses "Implementation Mechanisms." In this section we would note something reflected in the policy's very title: Will FAO simply maintain a policy on Indigenous Peoples? Or will it be capable of moving towards a policy with Indigenous Peoples.

I would stress this, since, from my point of view, it is vitally important to define what the mechanism will be to achieve the full participation of Indigenous Peoples following the adoption of this document. In the Anchorage Declaration, the Indigenous Peoples spoke in terms of forming a "Working Group" of Indigenous Peoples within the FAO, as has been established in other United Nations agencies.

This Document mentions that one of its implementation elements is aligned with the "FAO Policy and Strategy for Cooperation with Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organizations." The last session of the Committee on World Food Security, as part of its reform, commenced an unprecedented process of Society Civil participation. In this context, perhaps the FAO would want to recognize the "Indigenous Caucus" formed at the People's Food Sovereignty Forum, which was in some way recognized in its General Declaration in November of last year and was ratified at the recent meeting of the Social Movements and other Organizations of Civil Society for Food Sovereignty. I thus believe that it is possible to establish an approach to participation, as part of a process already approved by civil society and specifically by Indigenous Peoples who have been participating in the International Planning Committee (IPC), the FAO policy on Indigenous Peoples and the CFS.

Of course, I find the other proposed mechanisms magnificent: joint collaboration, sharing information and analysis, researching with indigenous communities on sustainable ways of life, strengthening the FAO's Inter-Departmental Working Group, promoting consultation mechanisms, promoting training campaigns and the mobilization of economic, logistic and legislative resources for this purpose, especially with the governments and resources of other agencies. For this reason, perhaps FAO and this Inter-Departmental Working Group would want to take advantage of the meeting-workshop being prepared by IFAD for the month of February, precisely regarding its policy to establish a Forum of Indigenous Peoples, in which a group of indigenous brothers and sisters will participate in order to further discuss these mechanisms for participation and in search of resources.

In this regard, I wish to inform you that the IPC has asked me, on its behalf and as a focal point, to formally request the FAO and this Inter-Departmental Working Group to possibly have this meeting take place as a part of the activities of this new participation mechanism, starting in the month of October.

Now then, I have indicated my perspective on the adoption of this "FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples," which I share, although I have also indicated my suggestions. Now, in my role as a new member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, I wish to reiterate my commitment to work with the FAO, with the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Indigenous Issues and also with the CFS, and I also ratify my collaboration with the IFAD. I have done this work before and I now reaffirm it. I also propose that this proposal be taken to an upcoming meeting of the United Nations Inter-Agency Group it order to strengthen this Policy Document and to support the initiatives proposed here. I will also make a report at the coming meeting of the members of the Permanent Forum regarding this document. In addition, I will make a proposal to do whatever is possible to include this issue at the coming session of the Permanent Forum, extending an invitation to the Director General of the FAO and to this Inter-Departmental Working Group in order to have it be presented at the full session.

Finally, I wish to conclude by once again recalling the opening remarks of the Director General of FAO when he indicated that "the fight against hunger cannot be won without them;" I would add that it also cannot be won without all of you.

Diuxi xqu’dxepŽ l‡a tu

Thank you very much.