EMRIP16: Item 10 – Intersessional Activities and Follow Up to Past Studies and Advice

16^th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)
17^th to 21^st July 2023, Geneva, Switzerland
Joint Statement on
Agenda Item 10: Intersessional activities and follow up to past studies and advice.
By Beverly Longid On behalf of Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus

Respected Chair,

This statement is being made on behalf of Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus

We appreciate the past reports and studies by EMRIP particularly the report on militarisation and impact on Indigenous Peoples and establishing national and regional mechanism on the implementation of the UNDRIP. We reiterate the importance of the past report on treaties, peace accords and constructive arrangements between states and Indigenous Peoples.

We reaffirm that the unspeakable forms of human rights violations resulting from militarization, occupation of our lands and territories, indiscriminate exploitation of resources during this EMRIP Session fundamentally relates to the non-recognition and or ineffective implementation of our right to self-determination.

We urge the EMRIP to

1. Facilitate the implementation of the advice in the reports done by the EMRIP particularly on the studies on Militarisation, establishing monitoring mechanisms and the report on the treaties, peace accord and constructive arrangements between the states and Indigenous Peoples
2. Urge the States to work with Indigenous Peoples as genuine partners in building pluralistic society and democratizing governance systems and take immediate action towards implementing the advice of EMRIP and initiate political dialogues with Indigenous Peoples in all countries for ushering in long-term peace and justice.
3. Convene dialogues between states and Indigenous Peoples with the aim of enhancing understanding of how the recognition and realization of indigenous self-governance can bolster democratization, peace and prosperity for the larger society.
4. Conduct follow-up study or prepare report on peace accords with the aim of drawing lessons learned from both cases of failed and successful peace accords to move beyond the cycle of failed accords as there are several ongoing peace negotiations round the world with the potential sign new peace accords.

Click here to download the full joint statement on Item 10