A/HRC/33/56
67.
Mr. Tsykarev called upon States to implement national action plans on business and
human rights, with specific reference to indigenous peoples’ rights. He also referred to the
law on ethnological expertise in traditional living and livelihood areas of small indigenous
peoples in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation. The law, adopted in 2010,
not only provided for an extractive industry impact assessment, but also contained
recommendations on undertaking long-term programmes for the socioeconomic
rehabilitation of indigenous peoples of the North, preservation of their cultural heritage and
establishment of a foundation for future generations. Since 2015, not only companies, but
also individuals had been able to apply for that ethnological expertise. He called for the
establishment of such laws at the federal level as well.
68.
Mr. Tsykarev also referred to the high-level dialogue on the proposed
Environmental and Social Standard 7 on Indigenous Peoples, held by the World Bank in
Addis Ababa in February 2016 with several African Governments. He expressed his
concern about the unstable position of some governments, which reaffirmed their
commitments toward international norms and standards on indigenous issues, but remained
reluctant to endorse the principle of free, prior and informed consent, and concerns about
the use of the term “indigenous peoples” in the World Bank’s safeguards. He noted that the
three United Nations indigenous-specific mechanisms, including the Expert Mechanism,
had written a letter to the President of the World Bank arguing that free, prior and informed
consent was not the same as broad community support and requesting that the World Bank
continue a dialogue with indigenous peoples prior to final endorsement of the new
safeguard policy.
69.
The Members of the Expert Mechanism suggested that the Working Group on
business and human rights should clarify the application of the Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights to multilateral development banks, with a view to ensuring that
they respect human rights in all their operations, and those affecting indigenous peoples in
particular.
VIII. Sustainable Development Goals and the rights of indigenous
peoples
70.
Ms. Yamada, introducing this agenda item, stated that the Sustainable Development
Goals, adopted in September 2015, constituted the international community’s road map for
development in the forthcoming years. She outlined some concerns regarding the degree to
which the rights and concerns of indigenous peoples had been addressed in that document
and suggested measures that should be taken so that indigenous voices were heard as
governments developed and implemented action plans, policies and programmes at the
national level to achieve the new goals.
71.
She also drew connections between the Declaration and the Sustainable
Development Goals, stressing that the Declaration should be the starting point for any
consideration of indigenous peoples’ individual and collective rights. Of particular
relevance to the Goals were indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination, the right to
freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development and the right to determine
and develop priorities and strategies for exercising the right to development. She then
highlighted how the studies of the Expert Mechanism could be drawn upon in efforts to
implement the Sustainable Development Goals in a manner that was respectful of the rights
of indigenous peoples, including in the areas of health (Goal 3), education (Goal 4) and
access to justice (Goal 14).
72.
Mr. Pop Ac, Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, discussed his
recent participation at the high-level political forum on sustainable development, which
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