A/HRC/42/55
determination, land and culture. Others focused on the need to protect indigenous peoples
from forced migration caused by conflict, climate change, development, conservation and
other challenges, and to support them for safe return or resettlement on other lands.
44.
The need to adopt and implement legislative measures that uphold the rights to life,
to physical and mental integrity, to liberty and to the security of indigenous peoples was
stressed by participants as an essential preventive measure required by article 7 of the
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other human rights instruments.
Ensuring legal recognition of the traditional land tenure and resource management systems
of indigenous peoples and protecting their land territories and resources by guaranteeing
their free, prior and informed consent under articles 10, 28, 29 and 32 of the Declaration
was also essential. Participants also emphasized the need to avoid State military
interventions in indigenous territories and for States to provide adequate, accessible,
affordable, appropriate and culturally sensitive social services and basic infrastructure to
improve the well-being of indigenous communities and prevent forced displacement.
Several participants suggested that border authorities be trained, in consultation with
indigenous peoples, regarding their identities, languages and cultures, so as to facilitate
translation services, when necessary and the transmission of cultural objects across borders,
consistent with articles 11, 13 and 33, among others, of the Declaration.
45.
In addition, different examples of good practices were provided in terms of effective
cross-border movements and cooperation. For instance, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona,
United States, became the first indigenous nation to develop and issue an enhanced tribal
identification card in partnership with State authorities to facilitate border crossings by
Yaqui people whose territory is now divided by the United States-Mexico border. The Sami
people who live in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia promote the coherent standards of
the Sami language and develop new terminology across borders and thus advocate for the
fulfilment of the rights of the Sami as one people living in four States. Australia shares a
common maritime border with Papua New Guinea and has signed a treaty that allows free
movement across the border without a passport or visa, albeit with certain formal
requirements. In the treaty, indigenous rights and the participation of indigenous peoples in
the management of the shared border areas are actively promoted. The communities within
the protected zone of the treaty have maintained traditional connections.
VI. Coordination meeting of United Nations indigenous rights
mechanisms
46.
Under agenda item 4, the members of the Expert Mechanism held a private meeting
with the Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur on the
rights of indigenous peoples and a representative of the Board of Trustees of the United
Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. Participants considered the following
issues: updates on planned joint activities for the period 2019–2020; selection and
coordination of thematic studies; coordination of country engagement; and the International
Year of Indigenous Languages.
VII. Intersessional activities and follow-up to thematic studies and
advice
47.
As Vice-Chair of the Expert Mechanism, Mr. Mansayagan explained that the agenda
item on intersessional activities and follow-up to thematic studies and advice would be
devoted to the discussion of updates relevant to past thematic studies of the Expert
Mechanism. The purpose of considering follow-up to its previous studies was to identify
good practices in applying the Mechanism’s studies and advice for the implementation of
the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
48.
Mr. Mansayagan emphasized that the studies and advice of the Mechanism were
meant to provide a better understanding of the provisions of the Declaration and to propose
concrete actions that States, indigenous peoples, civil society, international organizations,
national human rights institutions and others could take, in order to further its
9
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents