BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (March 10, 2014) -- Filipino indigenous woman leader Victoria Tauli-Corpuz has been named as Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples rights, a position in which she will assess the condition of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples worldwide.
United Nations Human Rights Council president Boudelaire Ndong Ella confirmed Tauli-Corpuz’s selection on March 3, noting her “active involvement with United Nations and multi-stakeholder cross-regional bodies on indigenous issues and her past collaboration with and commitment to constructive engagement among governments and indigenous peoples.”
The Council also considered “her vision for the mandate including a desire to extend the current Special Rapporteur’s work on sustainable and inclusive economic development would deliver particular benefits for the mandate” and “the value a gender perspective would bring.”
“It will be considered as agreed ad referendum by all Members, if there is no objection by close of business on Friday 7,” Ella said in a March 3 letter to Council members. The formal appointment of Special Rapporteur mandate holders, however, will be announced on March 28, the last day of the 25thsession of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
As Special Rapporteur, Tauli-Corpuz will conduct thematic research on issues relevant to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples; visit countries to observe and hear about the challenges faced by indigenous peoples; and communicate with governments when human rights violations are alleged.
Tauli-Corpuz founded Tebtebba, a nongovernment organization which -- since 1996 when it was founded -- has been engaging with the United Nations on concerns such as indigenous peoples rights, sustainable development, climate change and biodiversity. She is also the convenor of the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network.
As an indigenous leader and activist, she was among those who lobbied for more than 20 years before the UN General Assembly finally adopted on September 13, 2007 the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
For her new post, Tauli-Corpuz will derive the wealth of her past experiences as former Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the highest advisory body on indigenous issues within the United Nations system, from 2005-2009.
She was also an Expert for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations.
She was a Philippine government delegate to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as REDD Plus lead negotiator, and was a co-chair of the convention’s working group on REDD Plus under its Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA). REDD Plus refers to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.
As she anticipates the demands of the work, Tauli-Corpuz intends “to embark on cutting-edge studies to surface indigenous peoples’ issues.”
Among these possible studies, she said, shall focus on the impacts of big business on the rights of indigenous peoples. She said many conflicts arise as big business such as plantations and big mining encroach into indigenous peoples’ lands and territories without public consultation and transparency.
Tauli-Corpuz thanked those various indigenous peoples and civil society organizations, which endorsed her to the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights of the UN in Geneva.
Expecting a “daunting task” ahead, she said she expects to collaborate with other indigenous partner organizations in various parts worldwide, which expressed their support.
Aroha Te Pareake Mead of the Maori Victoria Business School in Wellington, New Zealand and chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy said the news of Tauli-Corpuz’s choice by the HRC president is “very fitting for you and us.”
“We look forward to seeing Victoria Tauli-Corpuz take on this considerable task and to continuing our collaboration with her in the future,” said the Copenhagen-based nongovernment International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) in a statement. “We are certain that she will make excellent use of her expertise and experience in this important position, for which she has our full support.”
For more information on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, please go to the following link:
http://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/ipeoples/srindigenouspeoples/pages/sripeoplesindex.aspx
(Tebtebba Indigenous Information Service)
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