A/HRC/27/30
provincial court in an attempt to protect the collective rights to land and use of natural
resources.
46.
OHCHR also contributed to awareness-raising and capacity-building in the area of
business and human rights. OHCHR Cambodia targeted civil society organizations,
Government, community leaders and business actors to support their increased understanding
of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and their application in the
Cambodian context, and assisted with the development of a picture book on business and
human rights for indigenous communities, focusing on adequate consultation and
compensation.
3.
Indigenous human rights defenders
47.
During the reporting period, OHCHR field presences documented a number of cases
relating to indigenous human rights defenders, by reporting on and following up cases in the
Office’s publication on the rights of human rights defenders or by providing input towards the
determination of protection measures in the available national mechanisms for the protection of
human rights defenders. For instance, between March 2013 and April 2014, the United Nations
Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo registered 12 human
rights violations against 48 individuals from the Batwa community in several provinces of the
country. The most reported types of violations during the period concerned the right to life,
physical integrity and security and liberty of the person.
48.
In January 2014, OHCHR Bolivia issued a public statement expressing concern about
violence against a group of indigenous authorities, which occurred in the presence of the
police. OHCHR Bolivia appealed to the competent national authorities to fulfil their
obligations to respect and guarantee the individual and collective rights of those affected, in
accordance with international commitments.
49.
In August 2013, the Regional Office for South America held a meeting with family
members of an indigenous leader, who had been found dead with a gunshot wound to his chest.
Investigations are being carried out by the Public Prosecutor´s office. The crime, which
occurred in a conflictive region of Chile, came six days after the visit by the Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism.
50.
Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
(A/HRC/24/41/Add.4), the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
(A/HRC/25/55/Add.3) and the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational
corporations and other business enterprises (A/HRC/23/32) also received reports of
harassment, persecution, reprisals against, stigmatization and killings of indigenous human
rights defenders. The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance also reported on the considerable number of
incidents of discriminatory practices and acts of racial violence committed against indigenous
peoples and the low level of prosecution and sanctions in such cases (A/HRC/23/56/Add.1).
4.
Access to justice
51.
OHCHR further strengthened its thematic work on indigenous peoples’ access to
justice, for example, by supporting strategic litigation at the country level. OHCHR Guatemala
implemented a technical training programme on strategic litigation in human rights for
indigenous peoples, including indigenous women, for indigenous peoples’ organizations and
authorities, teachers and university students (mostly indigenous), which includes advice and
support to organizations in the implementation of their legal claims. OHCHR also provided
technical assistance to the Support Network on Strategic Litigation for indigenous
organizations working on cases of indigenous peoples’ rights, including on indigenous
women’s rights.
11
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents