A/HRC/33/68 indigenous identity limited the research and analysis needed for preventive measures. A range of cultural, economic, legal and linguistic factors impeded the access of indigenous women to both national and traditional justice systems, and therefore to remedies for violence suffered. When they demanded their rights, individual or collective, they were often subjected to intimidation, threats or violence. As a result, impunity for perpetrators remained widespread. 6. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an opportunity to make more efforts in research and analysis to ensure systematic attention to violence against indigenous women, to understand the root causes and to take preventive action. She referred to the text of the 2030 Agenda, which envisioned a world where there was gender equality, a world that was just, tolerant, open and socially inclusive. She recalled its interconnected attention to protecting the environment, and explained that the link between people and planet must be fully respected. A world where there was greater harmony between people and planet was the promise of the 2030 Agenda; in this world, there was no place for violence against women and girls. B. Overview of presentations 7. The moderator welcomed the theme of the panel. He recalled article 22 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which called upon States to take measures to ensure that indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination. He also stressed that there was growing recognition of the harm caused by colonialism and continued socioeconomic marginalization on the safety and well-being of indigenous women and girls. 8. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences recalled the international and regional legal obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right of indigenous women and girls to a life free from violence. She referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and to other United Nations human rights treaties containing a non-discrimination clause. The treaties imposed an obligation on States to act positively by enacting and implementing laws and policies that guarantee that all rights contained in the treaties were enjoyed by men and women, on an equal footing and without any kind of discrimination. 9. The Special Rapporteur referred to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, general recommendation No. 19 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on violence against women, and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women. These instruments detailed obligations relating to the elimination violence against women. She also referred to article 22, paragraph 2 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 10. With regard to the regional level, the Special Rapporteur referred to the InterAmerican Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, and the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which described obligations in regional contexts. The Special Rapporteur recalled that the State and its agents must not commit acts of violence against women. Such an obligation entailed the duty to ensure that an effective legal framework was in place to address all forms of gender-based violence. States also had an obligation to act with due diligence to prevent, investigate, punish and provide remedies for acts of gender-based violence against women, including indigenous women and girls, 3

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