![]() |
International Indian Treaty Council CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS | |||||||
|
| Executive Summary
This comparative review of international donor and development agency policies finds that of the 27 main multi- and bilateral agencies surveyed, only a few agencies have specific policies that address the needs and rights of indigenous peoples.
More surprising still is the general finding that although most of the development agencies surveyed have publicly committed themselves to promoting greater accountability in the international development system, almost none have instituted formal accountability mechanisms to empower rights holders and citizens affected by their official development aid. In summary:
The review has been undertaken with the aim of taking stock of progress towards the adoption of international development standards on indigenous peoples in response to recommendations set out in Agenda 21 in 1992 and the official goals of the United Nations International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004). The assessment has also been carried out with the specific aim providing follow up to an international workshop involving indigenous peoples representatives and international development agencies held in Hundested in Denmark in 2001, which had resulted in the Hundested Principles on Indigenous Peoples, Biodiversity, Good Governance and Development. These principles urged development agencies to develop their own policy on indigenous peoples and establish accountability and appeals mechanisms to allow indigenous peoples to engage effectively in development.
The study concludes that having a dedicated policy on indigenous peoples can help development agencies to implement a rights-based approach to development and empower indigenous rights-holders and communities by providing a basis for accountability. A specific policy can also improve development effectiveness, support better targeted development assistance, and serve as a useful yardstick for monitoring and evaluation. The review therefore recommends that multilateral and bilateral development agencies should:
q Develop specific policies on indigenous peoples. These policies should be based on and be consistent with international human rights and environmental standards and be formulated with direct and substantial input from indigenous peoples themselves; q Make sure policies contain clear binding operational standards on the steps necessary to implement key bench marks and requirements, particularly in relation to land ownership, tenure and resource rights, free prior and informed consent, effective participation and protection from forced relocation; q Include mandatory participatory human rights impact assessments (HRIA) as part of social impact studies; q Back up dedicated policies with associated accountability and appeals mechanisms to ensure rights-holders and affected communities can raise issues about poor implementation of policy requirements and seek redress when development projects disregard or violate their rights; q Develop a specific formal and mandatory public policy on accountability and appeals standards for their official aid and development operations; q Support collaborative initiatives aimed at identifying models for project and programme accountability, including establishment or strengthening of effective, user friendly mechanisms; q Use the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and up-to-date best practice recommendations such as the World Commission of Dams as a source of policy standards; q Ensure adequate resources, training and staff are available to properly apply the policy across the agency and to cover the costs of its implementation in development projects and programmes; q Ensure that their Country offices and missions are familiar with policies on indigenous peoples and that information about and compliance with these policies is a formal part of discussions with government counterparts and implementing bodies; q Involve indigenous peoples and their representative organisations in monitoring, evaluating and reviewing policy implementation; q Establish advisory committees comprised of indigenous peoples at the country and international level to provide up front advice and assistance with proposed projects and programmes and liaise with the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; q Make sure indigenous peoples’ representatives and experts take part in both individual agency and global intergovernmental initiatives to formulate development standards that directly or indirectly affect their rights and interests.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||