6th Meeting, 19th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)

Before continuing, I would like to recall that the UN Nation promotes dialogues and exchange between different actors with a view to promoting sustainable peace, development, and human rights. All participants are encouraged to contribute to EMRIP in a spirit of constructive multistakeholder dialogue, keeping a focus on the theme of the discussion. The meetings of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as any UN system event, are guided by highest ethical and professional standards, and all participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect toward all participants attending or involving with any meeting of EMRIR. We count on your cooperation to ensure that these standards are adhered to by all participants in this session. We are— we ask all participants to exercise decorum, avoid abuses or disrespectful language, or— Thank you. Derivative of inflammatory remarks. Buenas tardes a todos y todas.

Good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of the MREP, I'd like to welcome the experts here today. I'd like to welcome to Dr. Albert Barume, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. My sister Aluki Katir, Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Matters, to Marjolaine Étienne, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. The EMRIP is proud to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Affairs as complementary mechanisms which are mutually reinforcing within the UN system. Although our mandates are different, we share common goals guided by the principle of consistency and avoiding duplicity. As a subsidiary organ of the Human Rights Council, the EMRIP provides normative knowledge and technical advice to the Council, chiefly to support implementation of the UNDRIP. We do it through thematic studies, cooperation with countries focused on dialogue, and through cooperation, annual sessions, and advisory support to member states, to indigenous peoples and to other stakeholders. The Special Rapporteur oversees the human rights situation of indigenous peoples documenting alleged violations and making recommendations to prevent and remedy harm. The Permanent Forum as advisory body— the highest level advisory body of the ECOSOC tackles social, economic, and political matters. And more broadly through a dialogue platform on policy in which many multiple stakeholders take part. Together, those mechanisms make up a consistent crucial framework for promoting the rights of indigenous people, which should be protected and strengthened in their distinct functions independently and mutually complementary. The EMRIP wish looks forward to hearing updates on the work of the respective mandates so that without further ado, we will start this dialogue. I give the floor to Dr. Albert Barume, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. You have up to 8 minutes.

Thank you, thank you, Madam Chair. Distinguished delegates, representatives of indigenous peoples, it's a pleasure for me to be here. It's extremely difficult to do justice to the work and what we get from indigenous peoples as a Special Rapporteur in 8 minutes, so I will be very succinct and maybe take a little bit less than the 8 minutes. I will make 3 major updates as really key information. The first is giving you an idea of a trend on human rights violations affecting Indigenous Peoples, because that's the focus of the Special Rapporteur as the only of the 3 mechanisms part of the special procedures. Today, The mandate is able, through communication mostly that we get on a daily basis and allegations of violation, capture trend, and that trend is what I want to share with you today. It's a trend, it could be summarized as a stagnation and regression, and that stagnation and regression is driven mostly And as we all know, global context with pushback on human rights, but specifically for indigenous people, that trend is compounded by the prioritization of economic security and other political interests over indigenous people's rights. Today, when states have to decide whether to let investments or to protect indigenous peoples' rights, the choice seemed to be easier. So indigenous peoples' rights implementation have really stagnated and is regressing. In the last years, no single state, almost no single states have taken a new measure protecting indigenous peoples' rights, and states that had legal and policy framework are actively dismantling and regressing, debating Parliament, debating cabinet, discussing how to pedal back on legal existing framework on indigenous peoples. Today, indigenous people are resorting to court cases, but most of those court cases remain also unimplemented. That's a trend we have in terms of human rights. The second trend is a very escalating criminalization of indigenous peoples. Indigenous people are arrested, detained, killed, and affected by hate speech, legal harassment, Numerous cases. The mandate— we keep receiving multiple complaints. Recent case includes killing of Albino Ramirez in Colombia, the murder of lawyer Sandra in Mexico, killing of Guarani leaders in Brazil, and an indigenous person being on death row in Tanzania, and many other cases across Asia, Africa, Latin America. And the entire world. There is also a proliferation of hate speech, Indigenous people in social media being harassed, Indigenous people in detentions, including key Indigenous people such as Daria in Russia and many others across, across the world. We have what we know as Guardia Indígena, community-based organization mostly led by indigenous young people being criminalized, harassed, and most of them detained. Let me say this, and we have heard this in this room: indigenous people's rights are not a threat to state. On the contrary, the 20 years of the existence of the Declaration has no single proof that the recognition and protection of indigenous people have threatened, has divided states. On the contrary, over those 20 years, states that have protected indigenous peoples' rights are more stable, are more inclusive, and are more equal. My call to states as we look and the UN engages in the UNAT reform, is to reinforce the protection of indigenous peoples' rights, because indigenous people, not only they are nations, but they have a lot to contribute to global key challenges. After all, the Declaration was written to reconcile indigenous people with states, and the 20 years has proven that where that declaration has been implemented, states are making progress and they are more inclusive. My thematic reports this year, I decided as we get closer to celebrating the 20 years of the declaration to remind states of 2 key major issues. The first is a historical and continuing contemporary violation of indigenous women reproductive rights. And I say in that report that when anyone want to erase an indigenous peoples or nation, there are 2 key targets. Those key targets are first land and second indigenous women bodies. That violation in that report, I do highlight that states are falling short of their international commitments. On land rights, land rights, as I indicated, there is a total stagnation on implementing the territorial rights of indigenous peoples. There have been some progress on legal recognition here and there, demarcation is almost stalling, and once those rights are balanced with economic interests or private business, FPIC is nowhere to be seen in most cases. I call on states, as we celebrate the 20th of the Declaration, to reconsider and to be assessed on the basis of these 2 key human rights violations that are the foundations of indigenous people's existence as a nation and as people. One other key activity of my mandate are country visits. Unfortunately, for budget constraints, Special Rapporteur can now only take one official country visit. And let me take this opportunity to thank the government of Botswana for having allowed me to undertake my first mission in that country. The report will be presented next session of the Council in September. It's key to note that the government has positively responded to my country mission and has made public its intention to ratify ILO 1 Convention. ILO Convention 169. My next mission is in November in Australia, and I take the opportunity to thank the government of Australia, and I look forward to engaging both the governments and indigenous people for the sake of that mission. Let me finish, Madam Chair, by making a point on the youth. I meet several times in private, in bilateral, and when I visit indigenous community, indigenous youth. Let me highlight that it's critically important that as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Declaration, as we press for the implementation of the Declaration, that the youth become center. Their parents, their grandparents spent tens of years negotiating those standards, it's time that those standards are implemented, and that onus is on indigenous youth. I hear from them, I listen, and I note their determination, their creativity, and their embedding into their community culture, and I believe States should and have to continue supporting indigenous youth. I thank you, Madam Chair.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much for that, for all your work, and especially for bringing to the table All the work that's been, that's going to be done over the next few months. I give the floor now to Aluki Koteer, Chair of the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Affairs. You have eight minutes.

Gracias, Anixa. Madam Chair, it is an honor to participate in this interactive dialogue on behalf of the United Nations. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This dialogue provides an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation among the United Nations mechanisms dedicated to advancing the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, pressures on multilateralism, and persistent inequalities, affecting Indigenous Peoples, closer collaboration is necessary. The Permanent Forum has consistently emphasized that the effectiveness of the United Nations system depends on coordinated and complementary action. The Permanent Forum, the Expert Mechanism, and the Special Rapporteur, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, and the human rights treaty bodies each have distinct mandates and comparative advantages. Together, they form a unique framework that promotes and protects the rights of Indigenous Peoples. During the 25th session of the Permanent Forum earlier this year, the annual dialogue among the Forum, the Special Rapporteur, and the Chair of the Expert Mechanism reaffirmed that these mechanisms should be viewed as mutually reinforcing pillars of the United Nations human rights system and not as overlapping. Each contributes in a distinct way. The Special Rapporteur monitors and reports on violations, undertakes country visits, and brings attention to urgent situations. The Expert Mechanism provides thematic expertise, technical advice, and country engagement to support implementation of the Declaration. The Permanent Forum provides policy advice and recommendations on economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, and human rights. The United Nations Voluntary Fund enables Indigenous Peoples to participate meaningfully in United Nations processes while the treaty bodies continue to advance international standards through their interpretation of human rights law. Strengthening cooperation amongst these mechanisms through improved information sharing, coordinated follow-up to recommendations, joint advocacy where appropriate, and enhanced support for Indigenous Peoples' engagement engaging with the UN will significantly increase our collective impact. Madam Chair, across all regions, Indigenous Peoples continue to face serious and often escalating violations of their rights. Armed conflict, climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, extractive industries, forced displacement, and widening inequalities continue to disproportionately affect Indigenous Peoples. The Permanent Forum is deeply concerned by the shrinking civic space affecting Indigenous leaders, women, youth, human rights defenders, and journalists, many of whom continue to face intimidation, criminalization, and violence. In particular, the Forum remains concerned by reports of intimidation and reprisals against Indigenous Peoples for engaging with the United Nations. Such acts undermine both the safety of Indigenous representatives and the credibility of the multilateral system. Indigenous Peoples must be able to cooperate with the United Nations freely, safely, and without fear of retaliation. The Permanent Forum therefore reiterates its call for a stronger system-wide response to intimidation and reprisals, including preventative measures, accessible reporting mechanisms, strengthened interagency coordination, and effective follow-up. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the Special Rapporteur, the Expert Mechanism, the Voluntary Fund, the treaty bodies, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Looking ahead, the Permanent Forum will continue promoting the implementation of the Declaration and strengthening accountability for its recommendations. We will continue to prioritize Indigenous Peoples' participation in decision-making, the rights of Indigenous women, children and youth, the protection of Indigenous human rights defenders, and the advancement of Indigenous peoples' rights in the context of climate action, biodiversity conservation, sustainability development, and emerging issues such as digital transformation and artificial intelligence. The protection of Indigenous knowledge systems will remain central to this work. The Forum will also continue supporting implementation of the System-Wide Action Plan on Indigenous Peoples and strengthening coherence across the United Nations systems through the Interagency Support Group on Indigenous Issues. Indigenous Peoples increasingly expect not only strong standards, but also greater coordination and effectiveness in implementing them. Madam Chair, this year presents important opportunities to advance Indigenous Peoples' rights. The 2026 International Day of World's Indigenous Peoples, under the theme Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-Being, highlights the vital role of Indigenous midwives in sustaining health cultural continuity, and Indigenous knowledge systems. It provides an opportunity to strengthen recognition and support Indigenous health systems in line with the Declaration. We welcome the first observance of the International Day of Indigenous Women on 5 September. This historic milestone recognizes the leadership and contributions of Indigenous women while drawing attention to the discrimination and barriers they continue to face. We welcome the leadership of the— of UN Women, with the support of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in organizing this inaugural observance and encourage the full participation of Indigenous women, Member States, and UN entities. In closing, I reaffirm the Permanent Forum's commitment to continued cooperation with all the mechanisms represented in this dialogue. The challenges facing Indigenous Peoples are complex and interconnected. No single mechanism can address them alone. By working together, respecting our distinct mandates while building on our complementary strengths, we can strengthen the United Nations system support for the realization of Indigenous Peoples' rights. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples remains our common framework. Our shared responsibility is to ensure its implementation with coherence, urgency, and accountability. Koyaanami. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that valuable report. I want to thank you for all the work that's done by all the members of the— members of the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Peoples. It's my honor now to give the floor to Marjolein Etienne, member of the Board of the UN Voluntary Fund. Thank you very much. for Indigenous Peoples. You have 8 minutes.

Madam Chair of Expert Mechanism on Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Madam Members of Permanent Forum, Special Rapporteur on Rights of Indigenous People, Members of the Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, people representing Indigenous Peoples, it's an honor for me to address the 19th session of the As relevant today as it was 40 years ago since the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Then General Recommendation 39 of October 2022. The rights of Indigenous women and girls lie at the heart of our concerns. This recommendation demands that states adopt tangible measures to eliminate intersexual discrimination and gender-based violence and to guarantee self-determination. Effective participation has become a prerequisite for its implementation. As international processes concerning indigenous peoples continue to develop, the need to guarantee their effective participation has grown also. Over the last 40 years, the Fund's mandate has evolved and has been expanded a number of times to provide better participation, more significant participation of indigenous peoples in the mechanisms. Today, it supports not just participation of indigenous representatives in the expert mechanism, but also the Permanent Forum, the Human Rights Council, including through the UPR, in the treaty bodies, in the Forum on Business and Human Rights, in the Conference of Parties, to the UNFCCC, and more recently in meetings linked to the Global Heritage Convention. These successive expansions reflect the growing recognition that implementation of the Declaration means that Indigenous Peoples should participate in an increasingly broad spectrum of UN processes. The Fund contributes to implementing this principle in practice. Before highlighting some of the results in that respect, let me I'd like to greet the beneficiaries of the Fund who are with us today and who have broadly contributed to the success of this session. Madam Chair, in 2025, the Fund supported participation of 109 Indigenous representatives from 45 countries during 13 meetings at the United Nations, reflecting the commitment of the Board of the Fund to inclusive participation. Fisheries included 61 women, 47 men, and 1 non-binary person, as well as 40 young Indigenous Peoples, 8 LGBT Indigenous representatives, as well as 4 Indigenous Peoples in situations of disability. Behind each subsidy is an Indigenous representative, a voice bringing knowledge and priorities of his or her community in international debates. During this session, the Fund has supported 13 Indigenous representatives coming from the different sociocultural regions. The contribution of the Forum exceeds broadly just individual meetings. Former beneficiaries continue to be involved with UN mechanisms, strengthening dialogue with governments, supporting indigenous organizations, and promoting implementation of international recommendations within their communities. Experience has shown that effective participation doesn't just start when a representative takes the floor during a UN meeting. Rather, it begins much further upstream. They share their knowledge within communities and through networks as well as contributing and identifying strategic points of engagement.

As a result, the work of the fund also supports preparation and exchanges with partners before and during UN meetings including with independent experts and the UN agencies' secretariats in order to ensure participation in the UN process, which is as informed and effective as possible. Capacity building is from now on a comprehensive part of the Fund's work. In 2025, the Fund supported 27 capacity building sessions in 5 languages that reached more than 4,300 Indigenous participants relating to themes as diverse as the UN mechanisms of in human rights, climate negotiations, enterprises and human rights, or indeed the protection against reprisals. These activities strengthen the ability of Indigenous representatives to effectively engage in the international process and contribute to the implementation of the Declaration. Chairperson, these results are encouraging, but they also demonstrate a key challenge. The requests for support continue to increase, yearly. Nonetheless, at the current level of voluntary contributions, the Fund can only support around 3 to 5% of candidates. This gap reflects the growing call for support for participation and the requirement for larger and better predictable voluntary donations to allow the Fund to respond to this context. The Fund must therefore evolve. A properly funded, forecastable, and sustainable contribution remains essential. Although the member states remain a cornerstone of the fund, the trust also welcomes philanthropic donations and donations from civil society organizations as well as from other stakeholders committed to indigenous participation. A challenge that continues to concern members of the board is intimidation and reprisals suffered by representatives of indigenous people involved in UN mechanisms. These acts don't only impact the people directly concerned, they can also discourage other individuals from committing to the UN process, thus jeopardizing the Fund's mission to increase participation. The Board remains fully committed to supporting efforts at the UN level in order to ensure participation that is completely safe in the work of the United Nations and to combat acts of intimidation and reprisals. Equally, the Board is concerned by practical obstacles, in particular delays and refusal in visa issuance. This continues to prevent certain indigenous representatives from participating in some UN meetings. We urge states to facilitate the issuing visas in a timely fashion so that representatives can get to their UN meetings. Chairperson, as the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples approaches, there are a number of challenges before us as well as much progress to be greeted. The challenge remains to ensure effective participation. That's one of the key challenges for the future. For more than 40 years, the Voluntary Contribution Fund for Indigenous Peoples' Participation has allowed thousands of indigenous representatives to get directly involved in the UN's work. Contributing their knowledge, their perspective, and their priorities to the international discussions and decisions impacting their rights. Continuing making that possible is a shared responsibility. I would like to thank my colleagues from the Board of Trustees, Pablo, Dev, Jane, and Tuku, for their involvement and commitment. Most of them are coming to the end of their mandate. This will also be my last statement on behalf of the voluntary fund because my own mandate is ending. I'd like to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, for his trust during my mandate, and I hope that this will continue. I will be able to work again for indigenous people. I'd like to thank Mr. Moss Flores as well for his remarkable work supporting the fund. I'd like to recognize your tireless commitment towards indigenous people and the fund. It was a privilege to work with you. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to all governments and partners whose voluntary contributions and collaboration makes the Fund's work possible. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much for this very, very valuable report. We'd now like to pass the floor And I'd like to indeed welcome a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Mr. Sal Vincente Vasquez. You have the floor for eight minutes.

Anexa, ne logopati usa ira şişe tuviçene bizanaka sakeka.

In Spanish. Thank you very much, Chair, for this opportunity, and respectful greetings to all of those representing the delegations supporting this process, to the experts as well of the the expert mechanism, to those representing indigenous peoples and their organizations, and to the members of the Permanent Forum, as well as other representatives present in this meeting. It's an honor to speak to you today in my capacity as an independent expert on the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CERD. This is an opportunity achieved Following the request made by the Mexican government on my behalf, for which I would like to express my sincere thanks, as well as to the 129 countries that cast their vote for me. In that vein, I'd like to urge countries to continue to support our brothers and sisters, indigenous people, to play a role in the UN treaty bodies. CERD comprises 18 experts whose role is oversight of the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and progress made by states, as well as to communicate its recommendations in the form of concluding observations. It also established 3 mechanisms through which the committee may examined the legal and administrative measures or other types of measures adopted by States to comply with their obligations in combating racial discrimination. The Committee, therefore, annually provides information to the UNGA concerning its activities. It also makes general recommendations on any question connected to racial discrimination which it considers States Parties should lend more attention to. That is to say, it provides an interpretation as to how the States should implement the provisions of the Convention. Equally, the Committee debates preventive measures, including early warning measures and urgent action procedures. Since the entry into force of the Convention and the periodic review carried out by the Committee throughout its existence and the reports on measures adopted by States Parties to comply with their obligations, as well as letters, declarations, and decisions under early warning procedures and urgent action procedures. We have seen this all bear fruit in a number of countries, and these include the following: reforms to national constitutions to include provisions prohibiting racial discrimination, as well as a systematic review of legislation and regulations that already exist in order to ensure racial discrimination is stamped out, as well as the promulgation of new laws to facilitate the requirements of the Convention. This also includes provisions to establish the punishability of racial discrimination and legal guarantees against racial discrimination in the spheres of justice, political and social rights, and others. As an example of the tasks of CERD, during the COVID-19 pandemic, CERD issued its Declaration 3/2020, where it highlighted that after a number of months of the pandemic, evidence demonstrated that that pandemic was disproportionately affecting marginalised and more vulnerable groups already impacted by racial discrimination, particularly to those those groups belonging to national or ethnic or religious or linguistic minorities, as well as indigenous peoples. It also highlighted that there had been reports of cases of sexual, psychological, and physical violence against women belonging to indigenous minorities. In that vein, in paragraph 4, it declared that the unequal impact of COVID-19 is particularly relevant as regards the enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights. States must protect and mitigate the impacts of the pandemic vis-à-vis people and groups suffering structural discrimination and disadvantages based on the provisions of the Convention, bearing in mind dimensions around gender, racial discrimination. And in subparagraph , it said, of Indigenous Peoples, particularly those living in remote and isolated areas, are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. States are obliged to ensure, pursuant to positive measures if necessary, the protection of the rights of Indigenous communities living in their territory. This is one example as to how CERD responds to its mandate. In this instance, it issued a declaration, that is to say, an interpretive statement to States Parties. Chairperson, distinguished members, sisters and brothers, equally I would like to share with you that during the closing session of the 117th session of CERD, it was said that, I quote, the committee also declared the themes and Orders in which the next 3 general recommendations would be written according to following General Recommendation number 40. These would be: one, communities discriminated against for reasons of their labour; secondly, on indigenous peoples; and thirdly, concerning discrimination in the area of sport and leisure. These will be the next 3 statements. By the UNGA. Despite its modest scope, which will only be 6 operative paragraphs, the 3rd General Recommendation I mentioned was the first to be adopted by a treaty body focusing exclusively on indigenous peoples and the protection of their rights. I believe that a timely and concrete reaffirmation of this would be represented by an update of this General Recommendation. Not only taking into account the adoption of the UNDRIP as a key point of reference, but also the 30 elapsed years of CERD's practice, including its COBs, its jurisprudence, its relevant recommendations, and the letters and decisions issued in the context of the early warning and urgent action procedures. Because of the foregoing, Chairperson, On the basis of Article 42 of the UNDRIP and paragraph 29 of the final document of the plenary high-level meeting of the UNGA known as the Global Conference on Indigenous Peoples, I would suggest to EMRIP that it embrace collaboration with CERD in order to draw on its specialized contribution in the drafting of a general recommendation to review and strengthen General Recommendation Number 23 by CERD. Its update would provide additional guidance to States Parties, bearing in mind the evolution in the rights of indigenous peoples and the comprehensive nature of guarantees of non-discrimination and equality under the Convention as regards those rights. Such an act would be a timely opportunity to recognize the historic achievements In 2027, and strengthen the guarantees around indigenous peoples. That being said, I'd like to also take the opportunity of this moment to extend the invitation to chair the permanent forum and all of its collaborators to take part in this process. Thank you very much, sisters and brothers.

Muchísimas gracias por esa.

Thank you very much for that presentation. And above all, for your invitation to collaborate in that project. I'm sure that we can look forward to that work together. It's extremely important work indeed that has been already occurring to a significant extent in CERD already. That being said, I'd like to pass the floor to the expert members of the mechanism. The floor is open. Annie, please. Okay, if there's no one who wants to take the floor, we will then move on to the list of speakers.

Nomu Hatgun, Network of Heritage Advocacy, has the floor for 2 minutes.

Thank you, Chair. The NAMAKWEN— my name is Nicodemus Cooper. The NAMAKWEN Network of Heritage Advocacy welcomes this interactive dialogue and expresses its sincere appreciation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People, the UN Unitary Voluntary Fund for Indigenous People, and the treaty bodies for their continued support in advancing the rights of Indigenous peoples worldwide. I speak on behalf of the Nama-Kuane and Transboundary Indigenous Peoples. Our ancestral home extends across present-day Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Long before colonial borders divided our territories, the Nama-Kuane, as part of the Khoikhoi people, moved freely across our ancestral lands as nomadic pastoralists, maintaining our cultural identity, language, and traditional governance systems. Colonialism, genocide, and forced displacement shattered that way of life. Many Nama people fled to what is now Botswana to escape extermination, leaving behind their ancestral lands, livelihoods, and sacred places. Today, the consequences remain visible through cultural erosion, language loss, forced assimilation, unresolved historical trauma, and the continued absence of recognition for many diaspora communities. We are particularly concerned that the ongoing discussion between government of Namibia and Germany on reparations on the joint declaration have largely proceeded without the meaningful participation of Nama communities living in the diaspora, despite our communities being direct descendants of those displaced by the genocide. We therefore respectfully call upon the UN mechanism to strengthen support for indigenous peoples affected by historical injustices and forced displacement, and to encourage states to ensure that reparation, restorative justice, and reconciliation processes are inclusive of all affected communities regardless of present-day borders.

We also encourage AMRIP to continue examining the long-term impacts of colonialism, genocide, and historical injustices on indigenous peoples of Southern Africa, building upon its existing studies, and provide practical advice to states

Thank you very much for that statement.

Joint statement, Trivial Collective of Indian Advocation Nation Coordination Front of India has the floor.

It's for 2 minutes.

Thank you, Your Honourable Chairperson. I urge the United Nations to call upon all member status to ensure the necessary arrangement for the effective participation of indigenous peoples and their representatives in the United Nations. At the same time, I urge that the issues raised by indigenous representatives be taken seriously and that efforts be made to resolve them through dialogue with the concerned government. In particular, I request the United Nations to imperiously examine the contradictions between the statement made by the Government of India at the United Nations in 1982, 1996, 2006, and 2007, and the practice presented by India's tribal representatives at the TEC meeting, steps toward a lasting solution in the interest of India's tribal community. I also urge the Government of India to sign the ILO Convention No. 169 so that the tribal communities' rights over water, forest land, and their customary laws may receive proper protection and recognition. For the, for the long times in India, the history, culture, language, language, second natural sites, and traditional worship practices of tribal communities have been subjected to continuous attacks. As a result, many tribal communities are losing their original identity, identity, and And are being absorbed various social and religious group. Today, India tribal communities are struggling to reserve their traditional religions, faith, culture, identity. Therefore, I request to fully urge the United Nations and government of India to support.

Thank you very much for that statement.

International Indian Drug Policy Alliance.

Has the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Jenna Rose and I'm Indigenous Māori from Aotearoa, New Zealand. I speak on behalf of the International Indigenous Drug Policy Alliance and the International Coalition for Drug Policy Reform and Environmental Justice. We wish to draw attention to the critical gap in the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to the ongoing impacts of drug policies on Indigenous peoples and our continued marginalisation from forums that shape them. Indigenous peoples experience exceedingly harmful impacts of drug policy, including disproportionate incarceration, the criminalisation of Indigenous practices, barriers to accessing and developing biological heritage and culturally appropriate healthcare. The prohibition premium along the drug supply chain fuels illicit and extractive economies, driving ecological degradation and contributing to climate crisis, militarisation, and the violent fragmentation of Indigenous communities and territories while undermining food security and sustainable livelihoods. These harms undermine rights affirmed in Articles 3, 18, 19, 20, 24, 29, 30, and 31 of UNDRIP. The impacts are compounded by the limited participation of Indigenous peoples at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The effective implementation of these rights therefore requires that international drug policy be developed and implemented consistently with UNDRIP. We therefore recommend that the expert mechanism examine the implications of international drug policy for the implementation of UNDRIP, encourage states to ensure that drug policies are developed and implemented consistently with UNDRIP, recommend that the General Assembly extend the mandate of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples to support Indigenous Peoples' participation in CND and other relevant drug policy processes. Encourage sustained dialogue between the CND, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions, and relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms. Full implementation of UNDRIP requires meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you for that statement. I now recognize women from the Ethnic Commission for Peace in the Defense of Territorial Rights.

Greetings from the hearts of the women and men of indigenous peoples in Colombia to this territory of Geneva, to all sisters and brothers from the original peoples, and to all those attending this meeting. How many rights can a people lose before the world recognizes it? This is the question we bring today on behalf of indigenous people and particularly women in Colombia. Colombia has borne the brunt of decades of fights and ethnic communities are currently trapped between armed leaders murdered with impunity. Boys and girls suffer forced recruitment in a persistent fashion. The women bear the brunt of this. They are the most displaced and have the greatest violation of their collective rights. The peace agreements included an indigenous historic chapter. 8 years later, only 13% of those commitments have been fully complied with according to the Klock Institute. Prior consultation, which is a mandate in the constitution, continues to be ineffective. And in less than a month, a government which has dismantled the peace agreements has taken over. And as a result, there is a loss of hope. Indigenous communities are the guardians of the environmental rights protecting all of our territories where the state is absent. Food sovereignty of thousands of families depends on this. And in the territories which are most hit by the conflict, it is The communities and community leaders, in their majority women, who ensure the guarantorship of this for the next generation to avoid the war that has been our scourge. Experts, we would like to ask for an urgent recommendation to protect indigenous communities and their women leaders before the 7th of August when the government is to change in Colombia. We have played our part and now the Colombian state—

The chair interrupts. Thank you very much for your participation. The International Career Support Association in a joint station with the International Resource Institute has the floor. Are they present? If not, let's move on to the Indigenous Global Conference.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Today I would like to speak not from the written statement but from the heart. I would like to tell you a story that when during the time of era of colonialism, When the foreigners asked the tribal people, can you prove that this land belongs to you? Especially in the tribal territory of Mundas. Then the Munda tribal people, they said that we will dig all the graveyards which have got the Stonehenge, and the Stonehenge has got the impressions of the bones of our ancestors. Are these ancestors' impressions greater than the papers and the legal documents which you have? Ma'am, I would like to state that I am also the member of the Global Task Force for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. The indigenous languages, when we speak, there is a confusion between the word indigenous languages and indigenous peoples' languages. There are many countries who have not yet recognized the tribals, the Aboriginals as the indigenous peoples of the country. Therefore, I would like to urge that since the indigenous peoples have not been recognized, so it is very difficult for the government to frame policies for the indigenous languages. I hereby ask and urge all the governments that kindly recognize the indigenous people and also to ratify and to sign the documentation of ILO Convention 169. Along with that, I would also like to state that the Government of India to give recognition to the Adivasis and the Scheduled Tribes as the indigenous peoples of India, and also the other governments to give them recognition. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much. I now recognize Guatemala, please.

That was a greeting in the Maya language, says the speaker, and in Spanish. Chairperson, our delegation would like to express its determined commitment to the recognition, respect, and guarantee for the rights of indigenous peoples in line with the principles established in the international instruments. In particular, in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we remain convinced that indigenous peoples possess inherent and inalienable rights, including the right to free determination, the right to consultation, and to free, prior, and informed consent. The maintenance of their indigenous legal systems, as well as the preservation of their cultures, knowledge, traditional wisdom, languages, and traditions in general enrich our national identity. Nonetheless, our country has a number of challenges in the full respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. Overcoming these depends on interrelated and significant actions. In that vein, we are seeking to strengthen our efforts in a harmonized coordination between the national legal order and the indigenous legal traditions. Chairperson, Guatemala reaffirms its political will to continue to build a country rooted in cultural diversity. This must be a fundamental pillar for social inclusion and justice. Our delegation appreciates the initiative undertaken in this space by tying this meeting to other mechanisms and supporting a constructive dialogue facilitating the due implementation of minimum principles and guarantees is included in the declaration. Thank you very much.

The Chair, thank you very much. I now recognize Indigenous Fellowship Program.

Madam Chair, distinguished members of the EMRIP, Indigenous brothers and sisters, it's my honor to address you on behalf of the 37 grantees from 29 countries taking place— part in the grant program of UNHCR. We want to very much thank the UN Voluntary Fund and the Grants Program for Indigenous Peoples and those who've made it possible to participate here. Given growing pressures on multilateralism, these mechanisms are more important than ever to guarantee the full effective participation, safe participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations. As we approach the anniversary of the UNDRIP, Madam Chair, we've seen grave regressions in our rights, despoilment, pollution of our territories, lack of respect for FPIC, and criminalization and violence against those who defend— continue to affect our people and undermine our right to self-determination. Therefore, our 2 recommendations are, first of all, we urge the EMRIP to continue promoting effective implementation of the UNDRIP with special attention to Article 3, evaluating existing gaps and promoting tangible measures so that self-determination should be a lived reality for our people. Secondly, we urge the states and the UN system to guarantee financial political support supported by the UN Voluntary Fund and other mechanisms dedicated to indigenous affairs. These mechanisms are crucial to guarantee our participation and strengthen the implementation of our rights. Given the profound climate, environmental, humanitarian crisis, we continue to uphold our responsibility to life. We protect our lands and waters, and we contribute from our lands knowledge and solutions that have been developed over generations. Our participation is vital for the survival of our people and the future of the planet. We trust that the United Nations will defend its foundational principles and will renew through concrete action its commitment to indigenous peoples. Thank you.

Muchas gracias. Ahora tiene la palabra. I give the floor to the Indigenous Nations of French Guiana.

Not in the chamber, not in the hall. I guess I give the floor to The Confederation of—

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The United Confederation of Taíno People has been engaging in these spaces and other mechanisms since before and after the inception of the 3 dedicated mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples. We are grateful that we have a UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. However, The Fund can only assist those people who are attending a treaty body or mechanism for which they, the UN Voluntary Fund, have a UN resolution. With the many policy changes and attacks to our environment, artificial intelligence, unmeasured project development, as well as other issues that are impacting Indigenous Peoples, We must ensure that an expansion is made to the UN Voluntary Fund to include other areas of participation, such as just transitions and the UNCCD. Just to give you an example, the UNCCD is one of the three Rio conventions, yet the Voluntary Fund has no resolution that would allow it to fund indigenous peoples. for this very important space. The damage and harm to our land, such as mining, toxic disposal, desertification, drought, and land degradation, is irreparable damage to all forms of life and that of our future generations. We hope that you can assist us.

Ha'om.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Chagossian Voices.

Chagossian Voices.

Chagossian Voices. Not in the hall. Network of Youth in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Thank you, Chair. Distinguished members, representatives of the Indigenous Peoples' mechanisms at the UN, I'm Gabriel from the Pasto people in Colombia and member of the Network of Youth of Latin America Caribbean. We recognize the work of our elders. We are here together to provide continuity to what's been developed so far, and as a product of this coordination of states and Indigenous Peoples' is we have the existence of the EMRIP, the Expert Mechanism, the Special Rapporteur, and the Voluntary Fund. As indigenous youth from Latin America Caribbean, we recognize that mechanisms have allowed us to strengthen our capacity for impact. We can speak of the rights of indigenous peoples in a number of countries because a lot of work has been carried out from the local level up to the national level. But there's still a lot of work to be carried out to ensure the full effective exercise of human rights as established in the U.N. Declaration on Indigenous Peoples. Various issues at global level on violation of the rights of indigenous peoples are taking place, especially in our region, Latin America and the Caribbean. We have a geopolitical situation which has seen regressions when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples, political persecution of our leaders, discrimination, Expulsion from our lands towards other places are just some of the many problems facing us. That's why it's important to continue joint work between states and indigenous peoples to assess progress in implementing the UNDRIP at its 20th anniversary based on the indigenous plans of actions in the various countries. These should have disaggregated data at a quantitative and qualitative level so that we can know exactly what the situation is with the rights of indigenous youth and and older people, adopting an intergenerational focus, taking as a basis the reports that we've put together. In that regard, the Voluntary Fund—

thank you very much. Please, I give the floor to Australia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We look forward to welcoming the Special Rapporteur to Australia in November and to continuing our dialogue on how we can advance implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through shared learning and ongoing partnership. Chair, Australia welcomes the opportunity to provide an update on key developments since the 18th session, guided by our commitment to implementation of the UNDRIP in full partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In 2025, Australia established the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young people. Led by a commissioner, the body strengthens accountability and oversight while centering the voices and lived experiences of Indigenous children and young people to help drive systemic change. Australia has also launched its first dedicated national plan to address the disproportionate rates of violence experienced by Indigenous women and children. Our Ways, Strong Ways, Our Voices was co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and reflects a commitment to culturally informed, community-led solutions building on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The state of Victoria and its treaty with First Peoples finalized in 2025 represents a significant step towards recognizing self-determination and embedding a new partnership between governments and First Nations communities. Australia is also advancing economic empowerment led by Indigenous peoples. For the first time, a dedicated First Nations chapter was included in a bilateral trade agreement through the Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. This is supported by a First Nations Action Plan. Australia is also proud to chair IPECTA, For 2026 to 2027, and we are working with partners to strengthen Indigenous leadership. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Muchísimas gracias por su intervención.

Ahora, thank you for that statement. I give the floor now to Deura.

Deura.

Duran.

Yes, you're on.

Merci.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to say that the various mechanisms dedicated to indigenous peoples are complementary. These are mechanisms that are useful and that shouldn't be replaced. First, I want to draw attention to these mechanisms on the extremely grave situation of the pastoralist people of Burkina Faso and Mali whose territories have become battlefields pitting non-state armed groups and state groups. The Fulu and Tuareg have been targeted— pursued not just by the non-state armed groups but also by the state groups. Also who are meant to protect them. That situation has seen grave human rights violations, forced displacement, destruction of livelihoods, and profound insecurity among those communities in Burkina. Numerous allegations have called into question the defense and security forces as well as the armed groups. In Mali, it has been Russian mercenaries involved in these killings. We therefore call on the Special Rapporteur, the EMRIP, and the Permanent Forum to devote undivided attention to these human rights violations in Burkina and Mali, to step up its assistance to help the pastoralists in the Sahel, and engage in dialogue with the states involved. So that the situation of indigenous people can be taken into account in the Sahel, these are the actions that need to be taken. Thank you. I give the floor—

National Committee of Indigenous People of Russia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Effective implementation on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is impossible without safe, independent, unhindered participation of representatives of Indigenous Peoples in the work of UN mechanisms. In many countries, independent organizations are being liquidated, representatives of Indigenous Peoples are being subject to repression for cooperating with the UN system, and many have been forced to continue their human rights activities in exile. Excluding independent voices from international dialogue deprives the UN mechanism access to credible, full information on the plight of indigenous peoples and so undermines the effectiveness of implementation of the UNDRIP, including Article 41, which gives grants to the UN specialized agencies the obligation to assist in its full implementation. We urge the expert mechanism to consistently respond to cases of repression owing to cooperation with the UN and facilitate safe participation of indigenous representatives and their organizations, including organizations in exile, and also stress that it's unacceptable to carry out any persecution or intimidation for people or organizations cooperating with the UN system. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to Chief Willie Derichai.

Greetings to all delegations. In relation to Article 31 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which protects the right to sports and traditional games. I'd like to bring to the expert mechanism's attention a development of an example of this right in Canada: the establishment of an Indigenous Sports Fund. It's essential that self-determined approaches to increasing access to all forms of sports and recreation for Indigenous peoples, including those Indigenous persons living with disabilities and to ensure that this fund continues to receive support by states and allies. In relation to Article 22 on the rights and special needs of Indigenous elders, women, youth, children, and persons with disabilities, we call for the support, recognition, and endorsement of Indigenous-led research which provide for Indigenous peoples' rights-based approaches through the development of Indigenous elite athletes in all sports and traditional games. Allow me to announce, in concert with Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Actions 87 to 91, currently underway is the planning for a 3rd World Indigenous Games as a manifestation of our rich cultures. We call for the support and endorsement of these Games as an example of practical application and implementation of the UN Declaration, the TRC Calls to Action, and as an example of true reconciliation. Finally, we invite all Indigenous peoples, the 4 Mechanisms, international sports organizations to join and support this important celebration of life, success, and being well. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Mexico. Perdón. Apologies.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank the panelists for their interesting presentations. We commend the presence of the Mexican representative expert, Mr. Vasquez. Mexico supports the complementary useful work carried out by the UN mechanisms on the rights of indigenous peoples. All contribute to this cause and are mutually reinforcing. Madam Chair, Mexico is taking tangible historic steps to implement the UNDRIP as part of its 20th anniversary. Thanks to constitutional reform of 2024, for indigenous peoples in Mexico are recognized now as subjects of public rights with a legal personality and their own heritage. This has been a fundamental step by the government to build a new relationship with indigenous peoples, recognizing them as collective agents whose practices and knowledge have contributed intrinsically to our historic nation-building. We're now consolidating this reform with the adoption of a complementary law. For this. Starting 2025, we established a committee of experts that has the participation of Indigenous authorities to develop general law on peoples and Indigenous peoples and communities, Afro-Mexican communities, through a project of collective construction. This initiative is made up of 8 books on the basis of principles of bioculturality, interculturality, legal pluralism, and pluriculturalism, pluriculturalism. Lingualism, stating that Indigenous peoples are equal in dignity and rights and should not be subject to any kind of racism or discrimination so that they can fully exercise their self-determination and autonomy and bolster their participation in public— in national public life. The init— the, the bill will be submitted to a process of consultations with the 16,000+ communities of Indigenous peoples and Africomexican peoples in Mexico and will be translated into the indigenous languages that are spoken in our country. Thus, for the first time in Mexico's independent history, there's full recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples through the single exercise recognizing their cultural greatness. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you.

I give the floor—

The Tajino Sahibora indigenous people. Saludos. Greetings. Muchas gracias, señor.

Thank you very much, Chair, members of the mechanism, and representatives of Article I speak on behalf of the Alliance of the Taíno-Cangíbaro de Boricua region, known colonially as Puerto Rico. Before beginning, we reaffirm a fundamental principle: the right of indigenous peoples to self-representation. Our voice emanates from the land. Although we recognize the historic and cultural links of our diaspora, this has not received a mandate from our territorial institutions to represent our position and realities within this mechanism. In our indigenous councils, we exercise our sovereignty and self-representation. I come from the first indigenous nation of the Americas, the Abiyala, resisting the colonial invasion 5 centuries ago in land illegally occupied by the U.S. government.

The Declaration Confirming the precarity and the urgency of our self-determination. As the rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples said in 2022, the lack of territorial protection is a structural violation of human rights. Therefore, we urge one, the special rapporteur, to address the situation of Indigenous Peoples in non-autonomous territories or in areas like La Borica, and to recommend— make specific recommendations for people in colonial context, and we call on the Fund to support the direct participation and ensure that that's legitimate representation within it. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Thank you, Chair. We thank you for the opportunity for engaging in this important interactive dialogue. We would like to express our continued concern regarding the ongoing defunding of the UN and its consequences for the participation of Indigenous Peoples. We call on the UN and its member states to recall their obligation to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples also within the UN system itself. The UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples remains a crucial mechanism for ensuring the full, effective, and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in UN processes. We therefore call for increased and sustained funding for the for the Voluntary Fund. In addition, we remain concerned about the continued conflation of Indigenous Peoples with so-called local communities, also in the allocation of funding in UN subsidiary bodies and processes. All funding mechanisms and UN agencies must uphold a distinctions-based approach. Madam Chair, we wish to convey our gratitude to the UN experts, including Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, who in relation to the situation in Qalatlinoornaat, Greenland, urged to respect international law and the right to self-determination. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that statement. I give the floor to Japan.

Tiene la palabra Japón.

Japan has the floor.

Bueno, entonces tiene la palabra.

In that case, not present.

Cultural educativo Ticono. Cultural educative Ticoso. Ticoso.

Canonina Coine, takundi indonatan yoke bibiti. Reciban un cordial saludo.

Cordial greetings. I'm Edith from the Aluvia people. In Guerrero, in the south of Mexico today, I come before this forum with great sadness and indignation. Our lands, our bodies as women of indigenous people, and the mountain is closing and we are dying spiritually and physically. We're going through a war implemented by criminal groups that fight for power and control over ancestral In cooperation with the Permanent Forum and the Special Rapporteur to include in its future plan of work a study to document the impacts of what this violence is doing, the impact on health caused by this criminal war that we're experiencing right now, especially when it comes to the spiritual, physical aspect Thank you. Of the Yosavi-Nawas and Mipaki peoples who live in that territory, because if the lands of our peoples are ill and they're slowly dying, this is affecting us and it makes us ill, and we're dying silently like these sons and daughters of the earth. We need to build peace based on equilibrium and respect for life. That's the only way we can survive as humanity. Thank you.

I give the floor to—

Thank you, Chair. In 2019, the palace at Suigusuku, the historical seat of Ryukyu Kingdom, burned down in an electric fire. Suigusuku was home of Ryukyuan royal family during the Ryukyuan Kingdom. One aspect of Suigusuku current reconstruction is the placement of the great dragon pillar, which reinforced Japanese assimilation in Ryukyu Archipelago. Suigusuku is one of the 7 UNESCO heritage sites about Ryukyu Kingdom, which site— the sites were all nominated together in 2000, with the UNESCO website articulating that Suigusuku in particular is— The great monument symbolized the pride of Ryukyuan people. Currently, the reconstruction project is implementing the Japanese style by positioning the Great Dragon Pillar to face each other. However, this is ahistorical and not the direction in which the pillar faced before colonization. The imposition of Japanese— Japanese positioning of Great Dragon Pillar is at odds with Article 11 of the UNDRIP.

Thank you.

Further, the luxury hotel project in Nanjoshi has no meaningful consultation with the Ryukyuan community in Nanjoshi, and free prior and informed consent has not been obtained. This hotel will impinge upon Hamagawa Utaki, Ukinjuha-inju, and Nyaharatsukasa sacred site, the latter of which is also designated as a cultural property by Nanjoshi. Additionally, Yabusachi no Urahara, was designated nationally as constituent cultural property and associated with Amamikunumi, the place where the sun goddess touched the Ryukyu Archipelago. The construction project at Suigusuku and Nanjo is both in direct conflict with Article 11 of UNDRIP. They contribute to resortification of Ryukyu Archipelago and unfettered development of tourist that appropriate the Yukon culture without respect for custom or limit to access.

Thank you very much. I give the floor to Society for Threatened Peoples.

Society for Threatened Peoples, please, has the floor. Not in the chamber, then.

I give the organization Nerd Woman. Спасибо, спасибо, приц.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples establishes minimal requirements that states must abide by. when upholding the rights of indigenous peoples, but when indigenous peoples require implementation at national level of the UNDRIP, then repression begins against them. Today, cooperation between UN mechanisms must become not just an instrument of coordination, but a mechanism for timely protection of representatives of indigenous peoples who are subject to repression for cooperating with the UN system. As you already know, currently in Russia, there is arbitrary detention of the co-chair of the International Caucus Indigenous Peoples for climate change, Daria Yegorova, and human rights defender for Indigenous people, Natalia Liangar, for peaceful human rights activities. Such actions are direct violation of the principles of the UNDRIP. We urge the UNDRIP to strengthen its cooperation with the Forum, with the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Affairs, with the treaty bodies, with OHCHR, with the Voluntary Fund to Develop Coordinated Measures of Response to Repression, for cooperation with the UN. This coordination must provide for swift exchange of information, joint contact with Russia, monitoring, including inclusion of the names of Daria and Natalia in the reports, and call on Russia to immediately release these innocent women. Protecting representatives of indigenous peoples is a top priority for implementing the UNDRIP and ensuring that no person should be subjected to persecution for cooperating with the UN. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I recognize Mapuche Nation before the UN.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, Chairperson. I address you on behalf of the Permanent Mapuche Mission to the United Nations to address the historic and legal kernel of the permanent conflict resulting from the continual illegal occupation of our territories by the states of Chile and Argentina. The study by this mechanism concerning situations of conflict and post-conflict is trenchant when it says that sustainable peace cannot be built on forgetfulness, rather on justice for our people. The path towards justice has a clear and non-negotiable road, and that is strict compliance with historic treaties. The occupation of Wallmapu is not a recent or simple phenomenon. It doesn't simply come down to a question of public order. Rather, it is the result of a systematic and unilateral violation of bilateral agreements by the State of Chile. In particular, we call for the full respect for and enforcement of the Tapihue Treaty, signed in 1825. This treaty was not a benevolent concession. It was a covenant of sovereignty and peaceful coexistence between 2 nations that explicitly recognizes our jurisdiction and our ancestral lands. The violation of this and other historic commitments constitute a fundamental act of structural violence, which is terrorizing our territories and displacing and polluting our waters through forestry and mining and criminalizes our traditional authorities. We will not see peace nor reconciliation nor— the chair interrupts.

Indigenous people back Has the floor.

Thank you, Chair.

Our defenders continue to face harassment, surveillance, red-tagging, arbitrary arrests, and criminalization. We are concerned about the arrest of Pranab Dolly in Assam, India, 3 days ago, 12 July 2026. Therefore, we urge immediate and unconditional release of Pranab Dolly in Assam, India, and the criminalization of the indigenous people. Continue judicial, judicial correspondence of leaders of the guerrilla of People's Alliance in Philippines. In Malaysia, structural challenges including displacement, land grabbing, and resource extraction proceeds. The Sabah-Peninsular-Borneo Highway Project Work Package 33, 34, 35 has impacted over 115 indigenous households displaced without receiving compensation, while water pipe gravity and their water catchment area was destroyed. In Sarawak, likewise, the whole Malaysia Indigenous communities face systemic hurdles in securing formal reconnection of native customary rights land. We express our concern over the promotion and implementation of BPOF 1991, which may undermine Indigenous people's traditional seed system. Indigenous territories in Myanmar, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Philippines are affected by armed conflict mining infrastructure development and large scale of agriculture project. Indigenous people in Papua Indonesia have been designated for food extent and renewable energy project in— and the proliferation and planned geothermal project in Bakulu, Taraja, Sinjai, and Pocolog. We recommend that UNPFI, i.e., the Special Rapporteur and the UN Voluntary fund and the treaty bodies collectively coordinate in their respective mandates to translate these ground realities into the enforceable accountability. We are trying to hold the country visit and report under the— your mandates, including engagement of the Indigenous people participation through the UNVF to proactively protect Indigenous people human rights defenders facing this escalating challenges. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for that statement.

I now recognize the Institute of Race Equality and Women's Rights.

Thank you very much, Chairperson, distinguished members of the Expert Mechanism, Indigenous representatives, representatives of States. I am a daughter of a historic leader of the Mosquito people in Nicaragua. Issues around indigenous rights at the United Nations and the forum was the last international space where the voice of my father was heard, denouncing the situation confronted by our communities and reaffirming his commitment to the independence, land autonomy, and autonomy of the Mosquito people. My father was arbitrarily detained, and for months my family called for his immediate release. He was deprived of his freedom, kept in isolation, and submitted to psychological and physical torture and abuse during his detention and forced disappearance. The Nicaraguan government gave over his body and officialized his death on the 31st of May. My father died in state custody.

Thank you.

Without any independent investigation clarifying the circumstances around his death, my father was a symbol of identity, resistance, and hope for the Mosquito people and other indigenous peoples and those of African descent. He dedicated his life to defending our collective rights. His death led to profound pain in our family and in our communities. To date, my father's His body has not been given back to our family to be able to say goodbye to him and give us closure in line with our cosmovision, spirituality, and tradition. In the context of my father's death, 6 family members that traveled to reclaim his remains to bring them back to the community were detained by the police and authorities.

Thank you.

He's been 45 days disappeared. We don't know their whereabouts. We don't know their location, and this increases my family's pain. We fear the worst regarding these people who went to seek my father's remains. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. We now pass the floor to Canada, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This panel discussion and today's interventions reflect the essential nature of the work and mandates of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They intersect and are interdependent. To paraphrase, to paraphrase the former Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, when decisions affect Indigenous peoples, special differentiated measures are necessary because the normal democratic and representative processes usually do not work adequately to address the concerns that are particular to Indigenous peoples who are marginalized in the political sphere. The broad scope of the United Nations work requires special platforms to include Indigenous peoples' particular interests, experiences, and priorities, which are reflective of their distinctive cultures, institutions, and ways of being and histories. For these reasons, Canada supports the 3 distinct mechanisms, seeing them as having interconnecting, interdependent, and interrelated yet different roles. It is critical that they remain as autonomous bodies with unique mandates to bring forward a global understanding of respect for Indigenous rights.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. I call on—

Travision Foundation.

Sorry, did you say Travision Foundation?

Travision Foundation.

Yeah, thank you.

Chair, distinguished delegates, my name is Bernard Sweeney and I speak on behalf of Travision Foundation. I sit before you today as an Irish traveler from a pre-colonial culture of Ireland. Our story takes nothing away from anyone else, it adds to a fuller understanding of how colonial legacies still survive in the present through exclusion, through racism, and psychological colonisation. Ireland was one of the earliest laboratories for English colonialism. Land dispossession, forced settlement, cultural erasure were sharpened here first and later exported around the world.

Our case is also a reminder that colonisation is not just about skin complexion.

It is about domination, inherent institutions, and culture of suppression. The Irish state continued an internal colonial approach to Traveller life, most clearly through the report of the Commission on Itinerancy, 1963. That assimilationist legacy is still ongoing to this day. The human cost is severe. Irish Travellers have an average age of death at 58.5 years old, compared to 76.6 years to the majority population, and suicide accounts nearly 10% of Traveller deaths. We've exhausted all domestic avenues. We come here today because we believe the situation of Irish Travellers raises serious questions under Ireland's obligation to stay part of the international human rights treaties, including ICERD.

We ask this mechanism and the wider United Nations systems to investigate whether continuing colonial structures are resulting in the ongoing violations of those obligations. So we ask you to investigate, to recognize Irish Travellers, native Irish speakers, and the Irish of the North as indigenous people.

Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much for that statement. I now recognize Spain.

España.

Spain, please.

Gracias.

Well, we are approaching the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration in 2007. The adoption of that declaration was a fundamental milestone in a path towards progressing the cause of indigenous peoples. And it's right that in recent decades we have had important achievements in the development and recognition of indigenous peoples, particularly in Latin America, thanks to your work and your combat. But it's also important to recognize that we are far from effectively and comprehensively complying with these rights in practice, despite the fact that the majority of countries in Spanish-speaking America have ratified those instruments. Poverty, marginalization, inequality in health and education access have demonstrated that these rights have not been fully complied with, and despite progress, there remain concerning data demonstrating backsliding, such as the number of indigenous rights defenders that are murdered yearly in defense of their lands or these rights. As a result, the Spanish Corporation Association continues to support indigenous peoples as a priority of our action, and we have developed a specific corporation program, the Spanish Corporation Agencies Indigenous Program, ACID by its Spanish acronym, that we have continued over the last 30 years and we will continue to strengthen for as long as it is required. Thank you very much, Chair.

The Chair, thank you very much. I recognize the Indian Council of South America, CISA, please.

Thank you very much, Chair. The Indian Council of South America, CISA. We'd like to speak on the subject of the free determination of indigenous peoples and nations on the occasion of this 19th session of the EMRIP. This statement concerning free determination should be internationally recognized.

Thank you.

Recognized as is and on a par with the Universal Declaration on Human— the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the forthcoming International Decade on the Languages of Indigenous People, which will span the years 2022 to 2032. We must create a convention to ensure the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations is enshrined and ensures free determination. In its Article 3, Indigenous Peoples are entitled to free determination, and pursuant to that right, they must be able to freely determine their political paradigm and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural developments. This is generally prevented today by governments. Thank you.

The Chair, thank you very much. I now recognize the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of French Guiana.

Chairperson, thank you very much for the floor. My name is Alexandre Sommer, and I'm speaking as an indigenous lawyer belonging to the indigenous people of French Guiana, a territory located in South America. I'd like to draw the Council's attention to the ramifications of the illegal pillage taking place in our territory. Destroying the Amazon. It is polluting rivers with mercury and directly threatening the health and food security as well as the way of life of indigenous communities. The French state has committed to combat this scourge thanks to the RP interministerial tool which mobilizes the armed forces and the gendarmerie as well as several state agencies. These operations try to end these illegal operations. Nonetheless, a number of operations, around 100, remained active on the border between French Guiana, Brazil, and Suriname. These continue to create pollution directly impacting our people. Chairperson, we call on the French state to step up its RP mechanism to respond to indigenous peoples' needs. We expect concrete outcomes. We also call for the strengthening of operational cooperation between France, Brazil, and Suriname in this regard. These illegal operations are a cross-border phenomenon, and only coordinated action between our 3 states will allow us to freely combat the networks working across the borders. We also call on Brazil to strengthen the resources. it's bringing to bear concerning the illegal trafficking across these borders in order to bring pressure to bear on France to fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted in 2007 guaranteeing our rights to our territory and environment. Thank you.

The chair, thank you very much. I now recognize the Mediterranean Forum. For the promotion of citizens' rights. The Mediterranean Forum for the promotion of citizens' rights. They don't seem to be present, so I recognize the Atikanawa New Council.

Hello, Chairperson. I'm grateful for the floor today. I'd like to draw your attention to the conclusions of a report relating to indigenous rights and discrimination in our territory carried out hand in hand with Amnesty International. This situation directly concerns Article 21 of UNDRIP, recognizing the rights of indigenous Indigenous peoples to sustainable improvement of their quality of life in the sphere of housing, health, and well-being without discrimination. Our community and a number of other First Nations communities remain largely inaccessible. Our families bear the brunt of the consequences of overcrowding, lack of appropriate housing, deterioration of housing quality, and growing nomadic life. This compromises health, security, and education, as well as the dignity of our members. These result from chronic and systemic underfunding of our infrastructure and housing in indigenous communities, fueled by persistent forms of institutional discrimination and overlooking the fundamental needs of our community and the right to free determination. We call on states to honor their commitments to indigenous peoples in order to share the building of finance programs hand in hand with indigenous peoples to meet their real needs and review funding mechanisms to ensure construction is met and persistent inequalities are overcome as well as human rights implemented and investigation and reconciliation Studies are put in place. Chair, housing is a fundamental right. This crisis doesn't only relate to dignified living, but also the will to address the structural inequalities underlying it. Thank you.

The Chair, thank you very much. I now recognize Ukenanya.

Tiene la palabra la Asociación Mapuche Huincul Mapu.

The Mapuche Association has the floor.

La Asociación Mapuche Huincul Mapu.

Okay, then I recognize— International Peace Brigades.

Thank you very much, Chairperson. In Guatemala, the vast majority of more than 200,000 people murdered, a million people displaced, and approximately 45,000 disappeared during the domestic armed conflict belonged to the Maya, Xinca, and Garifuna peoples. A number of courts have already confirmed that the state committed genocide. Despite this, the Agreement on the Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 1995 continues 30 years later to be one of the least enforced. Discrimination and exclusion targeting indigenous peoples continues in the economic, political, and social spheres, structural inequality that gave rise to the conflict has not improved. The state currently invests $0.40 a day per capita for indigenous peoples. That's less than half of that invested for non-indigenous peoples. Poverty affects twice the number of indigenous people compared to non-indigenous people. The same for chronic malnutrition. Exclusion is even worse in terms of political access and access to land. We have seen very little progress. In 2024, Guatemala registered the highest rate of murders per capita of those defending their land territory and natural heritage. The majority of these were indigenous people. Dozens confront criminalization and prison under trumped-up charges. At the same time, we see evictions not complying with international standards, as the Rapporteur on Housing found in 2026. These constitute cruel and inhuman treatment. Despite obligations under the agreement, experts at the UN and academics have confirmed that there are still legislative measures lacking to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have the proper restoration of their lands enforced. We ask EMRIP to foster compliance with the CEDAW conclusions on land and territory, and that they push forwards with the recommendation of the rapporteur on housing from 2025.

The chair interrupts. Thank you very much for your statement. I now recognize—

Uh, hey, uh, thank you, Chair. I thank the Voluntary Funds for Indigenous People to allow me to come here and represent my Omagua relatives, as well the Kokoma and Chikuna relatives who are also engaged by Malibu's network and based in the High Solimões River in the Brazilian Amazon state bordering with Peru and Colombia. We acknowledge the efforts of the Brazilian state to recognize indigenous people's rights. Nevertheless, the Solimões, Issá, Pureté, and Jundjuntuba rivers have lived for the last decades under the threat of drug traffic due to world cocaine consumption, organized crime, armed river pirates, and illegal mining, garimpo. The toxic threats of legal mining, as mercury leaves an even more complex problem due to the lack of urgent medical care in the region. We ask this mechanism to conduct a study on the vulnerability of the indigenous peoples in frontier regions, particularly in the Alto Solimões, acknowledging reported disappearance of indigenous peoples, drug trafficking, illegal mining, and limitations to medical support. We urge the support for effective action against illegal activities affecting Indigenous rivers, health, and territories. Their actions— these actions are only truly effective when guided by Indigenous knowledge and leadership. We call for support to Indigenous-led practices such as agroforestry, meliponiculture, Story sharing and other community-based solutions, recognizing indigenous peoples as sovereign authorities over their own territories and the rightful leaders of any solution. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much.

I recognize Native Woman Association.

Thank you, Chair. We thank the panel for their discussions. We offer 3 recommendations to the member states and seek support from the panel to bring them forward through your respective mandates. First, in the current context of increasing anti-rights rhetoric and growing geopolitical tensions, the liquidity crisis must not be used as an excuse to cut the mandates of the mechanisms, the permanent forum and the voluntary fund, or the special rapporteur. They each play a critical role in protecting and advancing Indigenous rights. Our rights are non-negotiable and are now more than ever Indigenous women's solutions, voices, and leaderships are needed. These entities' full mandates must be maintained to see UNDRIP fully implemented. Secondly, Indigenous women and our organizations must be included in the consultation and decision-making processes. Currently, we are being routinely excluded from the decision-making process on issues impacting our lives and safety. CETA General Recommendation 39 must be implemented. We continue to see member states rely on colonial governance structures at the expense of our rights. The Indigenous women have the right to participate in the decision-making process, representatives of our choosing, as we have traditional responsibilities and inherent rights. Third, UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the ongoing violence against Indigenous women and girls, Member states must ensure Indigenous women's right to safety. In Canada, the homicide rate for Indigenous women has doubled in the last 10 years. As countries around the world continue to turn their attention to economic priorities and fast-tracking resource development projects, the same urgency must be given to the link between these projects and the increase in violence.

Thank you for your statement. I now recognize the Adiwasi Nahasawang Foundation, joint statement with Indigenous Global Confederation.

Thank you. I'm Ashok Danawat, PhD researcher, bringing a collective statement on behalf of for the Adivasi National Coordination Front of India and the Tribal Collective at UN EMRIP, I draw attention to the continued dispossession of indigenous territories in India despite constitutional guarantees under PESA, FRA, and 5th and 6th Schedules and Article 371 of the Indian Constitution. Evidences points towards active development violence used by the Indian state to criminalize efforts by indigenous peoples to assert their identity, political autonomy, and rights to lands and resources. Adivasi communities defending gel, water, jungle, jamin, um, gel, jungle, jamin, water, forest, land are branded as extremists and jailed on anti-national charges. 256 were killed in Bastar alone in 2025, a tenfold rise since a report of for killing policy began on 12 July. Also on this 12 July, land rights defender Pranab Doley was arrested without a warrant in Assam state, a northeast state of India, for opposing a hotel project on indigenous land near Kaziranga National Park. Since May 2023, hundreds have been killed and 43,000 people remain displaced in, in the state of Manipur, and 731 people died in relief camps as per this state's own RTI disclosures. The state's continued inaction in facilitating a meaningful solution is deepening interstate intercommunal violence. We urge the expert mechanism, the special rapport, and the treaty bodies to call on India to implement UN DRIP and its own constitutional protections, end the criminalization and illegal detention of the Indigenous defenders, and demilitarize the Indigenous land, and uphold Gram Sabha authority and free and fair and informed consent before approving projects on Indigenous territories. Thank you.

Thank you.

Not in the room?

Okay.

Oh, they are in the room. Thank you, Madam Chair. My apologies, I didn't quite hear. Never mind. Madam Chair, I'm President Chair of the Société Algérienne, specialists in indigenous peoples. I want to— as we approach the 20th anniversary of the UNDRIP, I want to share some thoughts. The first generation of implementation of the Declaration enabled significant progress in recognition of rights. The second generation should meet a broader challenge, that of ensuring they're effective in historical, political, and cultural contexts that are profoundly different. For many African countries, including Algeria, implementation should take into account the colonial history and the construction of sovereign states. The rights of indigenous peoples and sovereignty of states do not stand against each other. They're mutually reinforcing when they're based on inclusive public policy. The Algerian experience shows this. The promotion of the Tamazight and their constitutional recognition was based on scientific research. Valuing the heritage and developing national cohesion over the next 20 years, we there will also be the challenge of AI. The need to preserve languages is not enough. Now there needs to be a digital repository of the language and scientific resources to ensure the full participation in the knowledge economy. This anniversary calls on us to pursue decolonization of anthropologically colonial categories so that international policy should better reflect diversity of historical trajectories, trajectories and historical experience. The Declaration should not just remain on paper, it should continue to inspire public policy able to reconcile memory, innovation and justice and diversity for Indigenous peoples of the 21st century. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much.

I give the floor to Organización Milenaria de Ashaninka Nomantisikesh de Pongoa y me disculpan la pronunciación yajelta.

Apologies for my pronunciation. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, for giving me this chance to participate here. My name is Clayton Valentin, representative of the organization Ashaninka Millenaria of Pangoa in Peru. Now, Peru as a state has supported the UNDRIP. However, implementation continues to be very limited, unequal, especially in the Amazon territories inhabited by the Ashaninka and Nomadsigenga In the central jungle of Peru, particularly in the Veraym zone, our peoples continue to face structural challenges to effectively exercise their rights. Even though there is prior consultation, its implementation doesn't always guarantee compliance with international standards on FPIC. This situation is reflected in persistent conflicts related to land and natural resources as well as slow, incomplete processes for registration of Indigenous peoples— of the registration of land. This heightens vulnerability of our peoples to extractive activities, invasions, and state decisions adopted without full effective participation. So various infrastructure product projects and other initiatives that directly impact our territories continue to take place without ensuring respect for our representative institutions or our right participate in decisions that affect us. That's why we call on EMRIP to recommend to the Peruvian state to move forward from formal commitments to effective implementation of the UNDRIP using mechanisms that guarantee full respect for our collective rights, including free determination, effective participation, and legal security for our lands. The rights of indigenous peoples cannot stay on paper alone. They must be made a reality through tangible action that guarantees justice, respect, and the full exercise of our rights. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to.

Tiene la palabra H. H. Sumatra indigenous people. H. Sumatra indigenous people.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Tungku Azil Nazir Natiro, representing the indigenous people of Aceh Sumatra. I came before distinguished meeting in good faith and with respect. When I return, I hope, to Aceh, I hope that we will not face intimidation or reprisal for peacefully engaging with United Nations. Today, our people continue to face serious restrictions on our ability to organize, gather, and advocate for our collective rights in Aceh. When these communities assemble peacefully to defend our rights in Indonesia, security forces are then deployed to disperse our gatherings, and in some cases, members of our communities have been subject to physical violence without justification. At the same time, Our resources are being exploited, like in Butong at Banggalang, and underpinned to expanding activity that threatens our land and environment. We, when we raise this concern, they label us as provocateurs instead of being heard as indigenous people defending our rights. Therefore, respectfully call to the MDP to restrain Their cooperation with the indigenous people of Aceh Sumatra. We call to closely to monitor our situation in Gedweh community and ensure that we are protected according to law. We hope that the work of the United Nations Indigenous Rights Mechanism for 2026 and 2027 will include meaningful engagement with indigenous people of Aceh Sumatra. and provide a stronger support so we can exercise our rights freely, safely, and without fear. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much.

I give the floor to Red Internacional de Derechos Humanos Europa.

European.

Señora.

Thank you very much. On behalf of the International Network of Human Rights Europe, we state our profound concern at the grave situation facing indigenous peoples and people of African descent in Nicaragua, who've been victims of a systematic process of internal colonization violating their right to self-determination and a grave forced displacement of entire communities. Constitutional illegal reforms adopted in 2025, including the— have weakened the government of local indigenous communities, subordinating them to the central power and eliminating fundamental guarantees such as the right to FPIC. For decisions affecting their territories. That normative regression has facilitated the expansion of extraction. In 2025, mining concessions were given to 12 Chinese companies incorporating 6.7 additional surface area of territory added to the 25% of the territory, and it has been given out in concessions.

This is—

these decisions have been adopted without effective participation of indigenous peoples. The territorial Spoilment is carried out through violence. We've documented at least 77 violent attacks against Mesquita and Mayagna communities perpetrated by armed settlers acting with impunity and provoking forced displacement, destruction of communities, and loss of traditional means of livelihood. Indigenous women face disproportionate impact. Sexual violence, enforced displacement, and the burden of maintaining the family have had have been direct consequences of this conflict while they try and continue to protect their land and identity in the face of reprisals and violence. We note with concern the systemic persecution against indigenous authorities. We urge the mechanism to carry out a thematic study on the impact of extractive activities, especially mining, on the rights of indigenous peoples. This study should analyze comprehensively the consequences of such projects on the rights of indigenous peoples and their territories. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you.

I give the floor to Indigenous World Association.

Según, I am an OHCHR Indigenous Fellow from the Kanyakehaga Nation, and I present this joint statement.

statement.

Today we bring to your attention the plastic pollution crisis, a serious and growing threat to Indigenous peoples worldwide. Every stage of the plastic life cycle is exposing Indigenous peoples to harmful chemicals, from fossil fuel extraction, transportation, and refining industries affecting Indigenous territories in Canada and Nigeria, to plastic waste and microplastics in the Pacific Ocean and in the snow and ice of the Arctic. UNEP and the 2 previous Special Rapporteurs on Toxics and Human Rights have identified the environmental injustices and disproportionate burdens borne by Indigenous Peoples to toxics. We are breathing plastics in our air and consuming microplastics and all their associated chemicals in our foods and water, contaminating our sacred sites, the wombs of our mothers, and our newborn babies. This environmental violence violates many UNDRIP articles, including, among others, Article 22, requiring states to take measures to ensure that Indigenous women and children are free from all forms of violence; Article 13, requiring states to ensure our ability to transmit our culture to future generations; and Article 29, requiring states to ensure no hazardous materials are disposed on our lands. We raise the alarm here at EMRIP that faltering multilateralism and dangerously low ambition are permeating global environmental mechanisms and negotiations, leaving Indigenous peoples out of the decision-making processes and posing serious risks. With the Global Plastics Treaty potentially concluding in early 2027, we call upon EMRIP to draft an urgent letter to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, urging them to ensure the future treaty is ambitious, addresses the full life cycle of plastic, and upholds the rights and full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples. I thank you, Chair.

Thank you very much for that statement. I give the floor to Consejo Indigenista Misionero CIMI.

Tiene la palabra.

I give the floor to Consejo Indigenista CIMI.

Pablo de Tarso Arante. Tiene la palabra—

I give the floor to—

Minnie Huiratari Noteao. Ms. Kerem Takuragi Vana.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the experts. I speak on behalf of— as a grantee for 2026 of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples and on behalf of the organizations I represent. 12th July 2026, we commemorated the 60th anniversary of the start of nuclear testing by France in our territory. The French state carried out 180 air nuclear and sub-ground tests in Fangatofa. The radioactive repercussions affected tens of thousands of people and continues to have grave repercussions for health and the environment of my people. All that pollution has led to transnational illnesses that are still being identified in 2026 despite the law of January 2010, Moran Law, which called for treatment being given to the sufferers and families. Numerous victims have said that the procedure is too difficult to access, too lengthy. It's called into question the fundamental rights of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We call on the French state to respect its law and to take reparation measures, sanitary and environmental rehabilitation, and preservation of memory as described in Articles 8, 11, 2, 28, 29, and 31, to guarantee transparency by progressively declassifying documents, to respect the memory of nuclear testing including in-school curricula, proper teaching of our history, recognize the truth of those tests, and to present official apologies to Māori people for the devastating consequences that we continue to suffer today. We also urge the EMRIP to continue following the consequences in the long term of nuclear activities by France on indigenous peoples, to promote effective implementation of the rights enshrined in the declaration, and to encourage France to continue its efforts on the issues— on nuclear issues. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias. Ahora tiene la palabra el World Unshore Congress. World Onshore Congress.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm speaking on behalf of Uyghur people. The recently enacted Ethnic Unity and Progress Law adopted by People's Republic of China, which entered into force on July 1st, 2026, representatives, a dangerous escalation of the Chinese assimilation policy towards Uyghur, Tibet, and the other non-Han peoples. Presented as a law promoting unity, it is instead institutionalizing the forced construction of single national identity. It provides a legal framework for— to further marginalize other ethnic language, racial, cultural, and religious identity, and the strength state control over education, public life, and intergenerational transformation of the country. For the Uyghur people, this law does not exist in isolation. It follows years of mass arbitrary detention, family separation, boarding school, destruction cultural and religious heritage, restriction on the Uyghur language, and the displacement of the community from their ancestral lands. This registration therefore risks legitimizing and expanding policies that are fundamentally incompatible with the principle of the UN Declaration, including the right to maintain distinct cultural institutions, preserve language, practice religion, and participated freely in cultural life without forced assimilation. We encourage the expert mechanism to examine the implement— implication of the law, implementation of the law for non-Han peoples, Chinese people, to engage with the government of China on its compatibility with international human rights standards. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that statement. I give the floor to—

Indigenous Man Number people of the North Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation.

Madam Chair, I represent— this is a joint statement of collective associations of 40 indigenous peoples who want to stress once more the impact of the rights of indigenous peoples of unilateral coercive measures. They are of a unilateral nature and were not brought in by the UN as sanctions. Their impact directly affects the lives of indigenous peoples, restricts access to specialized equipment that's necessary for conducting a traditional way of life in Arctic and remote areas, or impacts medical equipment, IT equipment, and other vitally important resources. In addition, there's visa transit restrictions complicate the participation of indigenous peoples in the work of UN mechanisms and also restrict development of international and transborder cooperation. Including cooperation between kindred indigenous peoples of the Arctic. This is a direct violation of Article 39 of the Declaration, which provides for access of indigenous peoples to financial and technical assistance from the international community. We believe it's vital for these facts to be reflected in studies and recommendations by UN mechanisms, including in current and future studies by the mechanism. We call on the voluntary fund To take into account objective barriers facing indigenous organizations when participating in the work of UN mechanisms, and devote particular attention to supporting legitimate representative institutions that reflect the collective position of indigenous peoples. I thank you.

Muchísimas gracias por.

Thank you very much for that statement.

I give the floor to New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I speak on behalf of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, and we welcome and we look forward to welcoming the Special Rapporteur, Dr. Brom, to Australia in November this year. Most welcome. We therefore encourage the expert mechanism to continue strengthening its work on the implementation and accountability in relation to the UNDRIP, to consider how the United Nations system can do better to support Indigenous peoples where states endorse Indigenous standards but fail to implement them domestically, to encourage states to incorporate the standards contained in the Declaration into domestic law, policy, and decision-making. Madam Chair, we approach the 20th century— 20th anniversary of the Declaration, we are reminded that the central challenge before us is no longer one of recognition, it is of implementation. In Australia, despite endorsing the Declaration in 2009, its standards have been incorporated into— has never been incorporated into domestic law and continue to be treated largely as guiding principles rather than enforceable standards. The implementation gap between international international commitments and domestic realities remain significant. Australia's 4th URP provides a clear example of the implementation gap. Despite receiving more than 330 recommendations from member states, Australia accepted only a minority of those recommendations. This demonstrates that international endorsement of indigenous rights does not translate into domestic law. At this time when we are witnessing increasing pressure on Indigenous rights globally, the rise of the right-wing and populist movements, growing challenges to the human rights institution, materialism, and the role of the United Nations mechanism is more important than ever. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

Muchísimas gracias por su intervención.

Thank you very much for that statement.

I give the floor to Tsiilhqot'in Nation government.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am Jenny Philbrick from the Tsiilhqot'in Nation. The Tsiilhqot'in Nation thanks the 3 complementary Indigenous mechanisms for your support of our efforts to advance our jurisdiction. Jurisdiction over the things that are essential to our survival as Indigenous peoples. This includes our jurisdiction over children and family services grounded in Secwépemc law, values, and tradition. This jurisdiction is consistent with the UN Declaration, which recognizes the right of Indigenous families and communities to retain shared responsibility for the upbringing training, education, and well-being of their children, consistent with the right of the child and consistent with our right to self-determination. As Tsleil-Waututh, our children are the most important resource. As a nation, we are proud to have worked with our Women's Council, frontline workers, youth, elders, and leadership to reclaim our jurisdiction in this space. Last Last year the Tsimshian Nation enacted our Children and Families Law, which is called Tsimshian Eskwa Tsitsutsul— sorry, Tsuljiniya, which translates to Tsimshian children growing up in a good way— as the foundation of our new model of care. The EMRIP studies on the right of Indigenous child on— sorry, Indigenous Child on Right and on the Right to Health, with focus on children and youth, have been particularly useful in our jurisdictional efforts. We encourage you to build on this critically important work, and we look forward to sharing the best practices from our children and family law, which truly represents implementation of the UN Declaration. Sichanal ya.

Thank you.

I give the floor to Kimberly Aboriginal Woman Council.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I represent First Nation women from the Kimberley region of Australia. Nearly 20 years after the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, its promise is only partially fulfilled here. While it has supported our rights and community organisations, it remains unimplemented in law and practice. Many Indigenous women and girls still lack access to the rights in the Declaration. Articles 3 and 4 affirm self-determination, self-government. Article 22 calls for protection from violence and discrimination. Yet Aboriginal women face high rates of violence, child removal, poor health, and justice barriers in the Kimberley. These rates are amongst the highest in Australia. Implementing the Declaration is crucial for our safety, justice, and survival. Implementation should be judged by the safety, empowerment, cultural connection, decision-making, power of Indigenous women and girls, not just strategies or plans. Our Indigenous women have shown what effective implementation looks like. Through Our Ways, Strong Ways, Our Voices, a community-led framework based on self-determination and lived experience. The challenge now is ensuring Indigenous women are trusted, resourced, and empowered to lead. In the next decade, states must invest in Indigenous-led organizations, uphold free, prior, and informed consent, and recognize Indigenous women as leaders and equal partners in community decisions. Chair, the declaration's success will be measured by whether indigenous women and girls can live the right it affirms. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much. Before moving to closing remarks from our distinguished experts, we'll have two more interventions.

First of all, Gobierno Territorial Autónomo Ahuaju.

Ahwaiyu Territorial Government.

Bonjour.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. It is my honor to take the floor on behalf of the territorial government autonomous of the province of Kolekenki in the Peruvian Amazon. We're grateful to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous people as well as the treaty bodies for their unstinting commitment to our rights. However, despite progress in international law, the gap between norms and their implementation remains considerable. In many countries, including in Peru, Indigenous peoples continue to suffer exploitation of their lands, criminalization of their leaders and activists, as well as insufficient participation in decisions that affect them. We recall— we call for enhanced cooperation between the different mechanisms at the UN to ensure more consistent, more effective follow-up to the recommendations addressed to states. We also call for the voluntary fund to be given sufficient resources to enable broader participation of indigenous peoples, especially youth, women, and representative institutions of the most remote territories who have very little access. As the 20th anniversary of the UNDRIP approaches, We urge the United Nations to move beyond just celebrations by creating a standing cultural space or by organizing regular cultural manifestations within the organization.

Thank you very much for your participation. One final speaker before we go back to the experts. Geneva for Human Rights.

Oliver Ortiz.

I'm from the Venezuelan Amazon, part of the grantee program 2026, representing the Bolívar— representing Article 3 of the Declaration recognizes our right to self-determination. Is losing its effectiveness when states like Venezuela recognize it in their constitution but continue to take decisions on our territories without guaranteeing effective implementation. Recent reform to the organic law on mining, on hydrocarbons, and the new legal framework that was adopted behind— by the interests of the mining companies that was meant to create FPIC processes in line with international standards, but it shows that constitutional recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples doesn't guarantee alone its effective implementation. FPIC is not an administrative proceeding but an expression of free determination. When laws or policies affecting Indigenous peoples are approved without our participation, that right loses its becomes null and void. And therefore, we recommend that the mechanism doesn't just stop at noting gaps in implementation of Article 3. Rather, it should fully exercise its mandate of specialized advice to guide states when constitutional reforms could compromise the exercise of free determination and of EPIC. The recent legislative reforms adopted by Venezuela show that the need to exercise this mandate with great firmness. No state can invoke constitutional recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples while it continues, on the other hand, to adopt laws that affect our territories without guaranteeing effective exercise of free determination. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias. Con ello damos—

Thank you. With that, this brings to an end the list of speakers, and we'll now give the floor back To our distinguished panelists, Dr. Albert Brumi, Special Rapporteur.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll make three concluding remarks. The the first one is, as my office has been noting, and as you could hear from indigenous people themselves, indigenous people are today. Under siege, if I can call it that way. They are in what I'm calling with my team a human rights crisis. They are highly, highly criminalized. They are called enemy of state, terrorists, threat to national security and national interests. Their land across different regions are occupied by terrorist groups, armed groups, drug traffickers, migrants, and illegal miners. It's crisis as unseen before, and I think I was really glad that indigenous people could illustrate with details how they are going through a crisis, and I call on states and the UN to take into account that particular vulnerability and situation indigenous people are in. My second point, I did say, and it's for that reason that I decided to dedicate my report on indigenous women reproductive rights, because those rights were and continue to be a special target of many actors. Who are after indigenous peoples' land and their cultural integrity as nations. They are, in many countries, continuing colonial policies, pollution, and environmental contamination, causing incredible damage to those indigenous women's reproductive rights, militarization, creation of military bases across the regions, with indigenous girls and women raped almost on a daily basis, and in some cases negative cultural practices and beliefs putting indigenous people, particularly women, in corners, and the extractive industry as well as conservation policy, with case of protected area guards sexually assaulting indigenous women. That is a global picture across the region, and I was pleased to hear indigenous people themselves expressing that. Let me conclude this with some positive note, and I want to welcome the Indonesian government recent revocation of a logging license given to TPL company. It's a company that special procedures have highlighted as harming indigenous people. We are calling as special procedure and special rapporteur on indigenous people specifically to call upon indigenous government to give back the land to indigenous people instead of giving it again to another logging company. Madam Chair, let me reiterate this again, last point. Indigenous peoples, the last 20 years of the Declaration has proved that the protection of indigenous peoples' rights are not a threat to states. On the contrary, they have built states, they have improved inclusive governance across different regions. I thank you, Madam Chair.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. I would now like to pass the floor to Alouka Kater, Representative of the Permanent Fund of the United Nations, for final comments.

Chair, and I want to thank everyone who's contributed to this dialogue this afternoon. It is quite clear to me that Indigenous peoples are involved in so many aspects of work across the United Nations systems, whether it's in climate change or plastics or language. And I will say I took note of the comments made about including the word peoples when we're talking about Indigenous peoples' languages. So I really look forward to the discussion and the interventions that will be shared on Thursday when there's a focus on the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. I took note also with the involvement of Indigenous peoples in so many areas that there's specialized knowledge and lived experience that Indigenous peoples are in a position to offer. In particular, I heard the very strong presence and advocacy for the full and effective involvement of Indigenous women. And I will also take— say that I took note of the number of people who are here because they've been supported by the Voluntary Fund. And I think each time I heard it, it just was a testament to why it's so important that these mechanisms are supported to ensure that Indigenous peoples are able to participate in these discussions. I wanted to talk, I guess, recognize that I heard repeatedly the importance of the mechanisms to keep intact, and I think I will build upon the Special Rapporteur's commentary about the crisis. I heard that loud and clear, that there's a great concern about the intimidation, the violence, reprisals. And there was also a suggestion, and I really appreciated some of the really concrete suggestions, but I really appreciate the suggestion that with the 3 mechanisms It's important to be coordinated, but there's also a need to be swift and timely in terms of protection. And I think there were also some very concrete suggestions that many of us heard and could probably respond to in quick order. For example, including having resolutions on what things can be supported. Through the voluntary fund. I also wanted to end with something more positive, but I will say that I really heard the shift as we're preparing for marking the 20th anniversary of UNDRIP, that we're no longer working towards recognition of Indigenous peoples' rights. But what we need to focus on and be very proactive about is the implementation. And we know so many of us continue to work on making sure as Indigenous peoples our rights are upheld and implementation to do that is key. I heard some positive things because Indigenous peoples are very strength-based. base, and I think it's really important. Sometimes it's easy to get into the place where we're looking at deficiencies and things that we need to continue to work on, but I want to take a moment to remind us, and I heard it throughout this room, that we can take a very strength-based approach and celebrate all the ways in which Indigenous peoples can contribute in a positive way. And in fact, Indigenous peoples are keen and want to build peace. They want to celebrate life. And I think I will end with looking forward and the comment that was made that children are our most important resource, because of course we want to make sure our children have a better future than we currently have. And I heard a little child earlier, and I thought, wow, what a great reminder about why we do the work we do. Thank you, everyone.

Thank you so much for those for your concluding words. Ahora le vamos a.

I'd now like to pass the floor to Sister Marjolaine Etienne, Chair of the Board of Trust. of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for her concluding words. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Chairperson. Thank you, everybody, for what you have said, and thank you for your recommendations concerning the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. They have been heard, and they will be carefully examined. We are equally concerned by the question of security and safety affecting indigenous women and children and indeed men as well. Housing issues are very much an issue which is at the heart of our concerns and We must look more at this. We must get that message to places where it can be heard. The question of territorial and land ownership, ancestral lands, and environmental protection is obviously key, just to name a few. These are critical because obviously the UNDRIP I'd like to take the opportunity to underscore my hope that all of your recommendations are taken into account and above all implemented. I'd like to also express my gratitude to the expert mechanism and the permanent forum as well as the special rapporteur. I'd like to thank him for being present here with us. Undertake a collective task to bring about these goals. And of course, above all, we need you. It is you that give us your insights into what you are experiencing on the ground. And I'd like to, on behalf of the Voluntary Fund, thank you and undertake the responsibility of implementing the recommendations you've given us today. Thank you to all my colleagues.

The Chair, thank you very much. I'd now like to pass the floor to our brother, Sal Vicente Vázquez, member of the CERD.

Thank you very much, Sister Chairperson, brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen. I'm very grateful for the opportunity given to me to represent CERD as the focal point for collaboration between CERD and the United Nations mechanisms on the rights of indigenous peoples. Today, I have listened very closely to the work being carried out by the UN mechanisms complying with their mandates. As they work on implementing the rights of indigenous peoples. They are of particular relevance, I believe. I've also heard the commitments that states have made towards implementing the UNDRIP and the other additional activities they have undertaken. Notwithstanding, I've also heard the sisters and brothers who are here with us representing the various indigenous peoples in the room. And those statements don't speak very highly of the implementation of the requests that we make on early warning. And urgent actions in CERD. I want to say that 80% of the requests for these actions that we receive come from Indigenous Peoples and their organizations. Because of this, I'd like to urge Indigenous Peoples to participate with CERD in its forthcoming session. The committee will be reviewing the reports of Finland, India, Honduras, and Kuwait. As a result, I'd like to urge indigenous peoples' organizations and those representing them to present parallel reports to us to provide us with additional elements to allow us to weigh in a more balanced fashion the country reports submitted to us. And we have a deadline. That's the 20th of July, in 5 days. So I'd like to really urge you to redouble your cooperation with the committee through those parallel reports, which are hugely valuable to us. Thank you very much once again for this opportunity, and I hope to continue to collaborate with you in the forthcoming sessions. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much. We'll now pass the floor to my colleagues, the other experts, and the floor is open. Shelley Lightfoot has the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and let me extend My sincerest appreciation to all of the other mechanisms for the updates today on your work and priorities, as well as in our closed meeting yesterday. These joint meetings are incredibly valuable. Together, our 3 mechanisms, alongside the treaty bodies and the voluntary fund, and of course Indigenous Peoples themselves, form what I would describe as an Indigenous rights knowledge ecosystem. Distinct mandates but interdependent, each strengthening the work of the others. And meetings like the one today and yesterday help keep that ecosystem very healthy and ensuring complementarity rather than overlap. And that ecosystem now faces real and palpable pressures. So it's absolutely obvious from the floor today is that all of these functions remain desperately needed. It seems the world needs human rights mechanisms more than ever now. So we need to strengthen our efforts, not roll them back. To the Special Rapporteur, at EMRIP sessions and throughout the year, we hear from Indigenous Peoples worldwide, and sometimes we are asked to address specific violations which are better suited to your mandate, and we are happy to send them to you. The work you do ensures that those concerns have a distinct home within the ecosystem, and we value your work there tremendously. And to the chair of the Permanent Forum, thank you for your tremendous work during the 25th session, and we look forward with great interest interest to the coming work in this next year. Voluntary fund, the fund is the circulatory system of this ecosystem, enabling participation and critically training that builds indigenous peoples' ability to engage in all of these mechanisms effectively. We encourage member states to continue to contribute at their same levels. that this can continue. And to the representative, honoured representative from the CERD, congratulations on your appointment. It is incredibly significant as we need, desperately need to increase awareness of Indigenous rights in the treaty bodies. There's been some progress to date, but much work yet to do. So we appreciate very much your presence there.

Thank you.

And thank you for joining our dialogue. Engaging with the treaty bodies like this is, in my view, among the most important dimensions of our work on the UNRIP. So we're grateful for today's engagement and hope it will continue on an ongoing basis. All of these conversations will converge in the year ahead as we move towards the 20th anniversary of the Declaration. And that milestone Zone belongs to the entire ecosystem, and we will work with it in a coordinated and collaborative way. So let's use this coming year to arrive at that anniversary in a mutually reinforcing manner and in celebrating together as one and looking forward to a future together. Thank you very much, Madam

Thank you very much, Sharon—

Cheryl. I'd like to also take the opportunity to thank you in view of the fact that this also is your last session here with the expert mechanism and the last time that I will be taking the podium. I'd like to take the opportunity to recognize all of the work and the commitment that you've dedicated to the mandate over the last 6 years, 4 years working alongside me, that these have been fundamental for the strengthening of the mandate of the Mechanism, but above all, for bolstering the rights of Indigenous Peoples, which we're also committed to. So thank you very much for your work. The floor's open again, so I'll pass the floor to Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would also like to thank the other 3 mechanisms for the perseverance and the achievements made in spite of the challenges that we faced. I would also like to offer a few remarks reflecting from the interventions from the floor since day one regarding indigenous peoples who are currently in conflict areas, for example, in Manipur, India, and other countries. It is important for the mechanisms, indigenous mechanisms, in cooperation with other relevant UN mechanisms, to urgently consider in addressing the following. Firstly, for states to ensure that all measures taken in response to the conflict are guided by clearly defined, publicly communicated, and rights-based objectives. States should maintain strict political neutrality in the implementation of security and humanitarian measures, ensuring that all communities are treated equally and without discrimination. The mandates Rules of engagement and accountability mechanisms governing security forces should be clearly established, publicly communicated where appropriate, and consistent with international human rights standards. Independent oversight, transparent reporting, and accessible complaint mechanisms should be strengthened to foster public trust and prevent abuses. Second, that decisions affecting conflict-affected communities should be based on objective criteria, subject to independent oversight, and developed in consultation with representatives of all affected communities, including indigenous peoples, to strengthen confidence in the impartiality of state institutions. Thirdly, that state institutions should ensure that security forces operate under a unified and impartial chain of command with clearly defined mandates focused on the protection of civilians, prevention of intercommunal violence, and equal enforcement of the law while refraining from actions that could create actual or perceived bias towards any community. community so that we prevent further losses of life and peacebuilding efforts move forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much for those words. I'd like to put my glasses on. First and foremost, thank you very much for that very important work you've been outlining. We congratulate you for all of the work drafting the reports and all of the valuable recommendations and contributions to strengthen the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. We hope that the recommendations that have arisen from your work and that of the states will be able to be manifested. Before adjourning the session, I'd like to express my sincere heartfelt thanks to all participants for their valuable contributions, for their statements, for the respectful dialogue, and for the commitment they have shown to the promotion and protection protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. Your contributions have enriched our work and have strengthened this space of cooperation and reflection. I would also like to invite us to dedicate a moment of memory to the men and women who have led indigenous peoples and dedicated their lives to the protection of indigenous peoples, to their territories, to their culture, to the right of free determination. Their legacy inspires us and reminds us that the defense of human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples requires courage and commitment. Let me invite you to stand and observe a minute of silence, above all recalling the memory Of Ta' Gule, the Mesquite historic leader.

Thank you. Muchísimas gracias.

Thank you very much. Let that minute of silence renew our commitment to continue to work to ensure that the rights of indigenous peoples be fully respected and protected the world over. In that spirit, I would like to formally declare adjourned this session. I wish you a very good evening. Thank you very much.

Thank you.