A/HRC/4/77
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Secretary-General on human rights of internally displaced persons; and the Special
Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business
enterprises.
17.
The Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate
standard of living has linked the issue of adequate housing to the right to land and access to
natural resources and recommended that States provide legal recognition of collective-based
property rights. The Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography has noted that indigenous children are among the groups more exposed to
trafficking and sexual exploitation, mainly because of social exclusion and discrimination. The
Special Rapporteur on the right to food has given extensive attention to indigenous perspectives,
noting that indigenous peoples often see their subsistence activities such as hunting, fishing and
gathering as essential to nurturing their culture and identity. He also observes that levels of
hunger and malnutrition among indigenous peoples are often disproportionately higher than
among non-indigenous populations. Among the recommendations he addresses to Governments
is the need to recognize rights to land, resources and traditional subsistence activities, as well as
intellectual property rights over genetic and knowledge resources. The Special Rapporteur on
contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance draws
attention to the disadvantages and exclusion faced by indigenous peoples in several of his
country reports, linking the phenomenon to prevailing levels of poverty, the legacy of
colonialism and weak protection of land rights.
18.
The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and
fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism notes that some States are applying definitions
of terrorism that are designed in bad faith to outlaw political opposition, religious entities, or
minority, indigenous or autonomy movements that have never resorted to violence against
persons. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences in one
of her country reports calls for funding for vocational training, adult literacy, credit schemes and
provision of incentives for the employment of indigenous women to combat gender
discrimination and violence emanating from it.
19.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights
defenders has, over the period of the mandate, sent 80 communications on human rights
defenders working to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
Several of these communications have been sent jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people. The majority of these
cases are concerned with indigenous peoples involved in struggles over land rights and rights to
use and freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources. The majority of such cases are
reported from countries in Latin America (39 cases) and Asia (19 cases). She has also expressed
concern about human rights defenders being prosecuted under anti-terrorism legislation.
20.
The independent expert for the study on violence against children has also acknowledged
the special vulnerability of indigenous children and has called upon States to ensure that these
children and their families are provided with culturally based support and care services, and that
social workers have adequate training to work effectively with them.
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