The following statement was delivered by Luxembourg on behalf of the UN Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect in Geneva during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples at the 54th session of the Human Rights Council.

Mr. President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report, which illustrates the need to find sustainable solutions to guarantee that Indigenous Peoples can preserve their rights to territories, knowledge and distinct ways of life as described by UNDRIP. Indigenous Peoples continue to be forcibly displaced, dispossessed of their territories and discriminated against on the basis of their ethnicity.

Historically, Indigenous Peoples have been victims of atrocity crimes, including through colonisation, resulting in the loss of ancestral lands, as well as pervasive discrimination, including against indigenous women and girls. Economic projects with impact on their territories without consultation procedures may also serve as a key driver of violence, while inflammatory rhetoric often blames Indigenous Peoples for standing in the way of development projects.

Special Procedures have also documented how indigenous women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, trafficking and other forms of exploitation, highlighting the need for intersectional protection approaches.

Mr. Special Rapporteur,

How can states better leverage the UN human rights system – including Treaty Bodies, the Universal Periodic Review process, and your own mandate as well as the EMRIP – to close protection gaps and address and mitigate atrocity risk factors for Indigenous Peoples, while at the same time strengthening their possibilities for meaningful participation?

Thank you.