CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

STATEMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' CAUCUS AT THE
HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, 9TH SESSION
April 20, 2001

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to address the theme of this High Level Segment, and the issue of integration and the way forward.

Throughout the world, Indigenous Peoples face inequity over the control of, and access to, sustainable energy and energy services.  And while our territories are resource rich and serve as the base from which governments and corporations literally extract wealth, the most severe poverty can be found within our territories.

Environmental degradation and severe pollution-related health problems have plagued Indigenous Peoples whose lands are used for energy generation activities.  Climate change and the militarization that often accompany imposed development projects are serious threats to our continued survival as diverse cultures.

Nowhere is the direct link between biological diversity and cultural diversity more apparent than among Indigenous Peoples.  More than 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity is found within our territories, and that is no accident. Indigenous Peoples have been practicing the core principles of sustainable development and stewardship of the natural world for millennia, thanks to the diverse traditional and technical knowledge that is the heritage of each of our cultures.  A recent UNEP report underscores the fact that globalization threatens the very existence of Indigenous Peoples' cultures.  Unsustainable energy development is also guilty in this regard.

Some years ago, a certain head of state proclaimed that his country's lifestyle is not up for negotiation.  But as we prepare for Rio +10 and beyond, a truly global proclamation that integrates essential issues for sustainable development is, "the world's biodiversity and the survival of Indigenous Peoples, are not up for negotiation."

Mr. Chairman, we present the following recommendations, integrating social, economic and environmental issues:

1. The proposal of the World Commission on Dams for an approach to development, which is based on the recognition of rights and assessment of risks, should be the framework used by governments and multilateral institutions when creating development plans for energy and transport.
2. Redress for Indigenous Peoples who suffered  grave injustices and violation of their individual and collective rights because of energy-related projects should be provided.
3. As human and collective rights are an integral part of sustainable development, governments should immediately adopt the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
4. Privatization, liberalization and structural adjustment policies should not undermine the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
5. Governments should adopt, ratify and implement ILO Convention 169.
6. Future energy-related projects planned within Indigenous Peoples' lands should only be done with the expressed free, prior and informed consent of those whose lands will be used and who will be directly affected.  A comprehensive search for options for energy generation should be undertaken, with the full participation of indigenous peoples, before decisions are made.
7. An adequate percentage of finances generated to support energy production should  be used for renewable, sustainable, and decentralized energy projects which can be managed by the local communities.
8. There should be a moratorium on oil drilling and uranium mining that is taking place in indigenous peoples' lands, especially in conflict areas. Conflict resolution processes should be developed among indigenous peoples, governments and corporations involved in such activities.
9. Multilateral financing institutions and private banks which provide loans for energy development projects should undertake thorough environmental and social impact assessments, and identify the potential risks and Peoples whose rights will be affected before releasing such loans.
10. The dumping of inappropriate, obsolete and highly polluting energy and transport technologies in the south should be stopped, and financial and technical support should be given to develop or transfer environmentally sustainable technologies. Intellectual property rights protection, like the TRIPS Agreement, should not be a barrier for such transfer.

To conclude, Mr. Chairman and member-states of the Commission on Sustainable Development, we urge you to seriously consider our recommendations, and to use this opportunity to rethink and reshape the current development path. We all know that the high level of greenhouse gas emissions, and unsustainable consumption and production patterns related to energy and transport, are serious threats to the well-being of all Peoples and all life forms.  Comprehensive actions and real partnerships should be developed to save whatever we have left, and the time to act is now.