fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 
UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Francisco Cali Tzay

GENEVA, Switzerland — United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Francisco Cali Tzay launched a formal study on Wednesday focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the human rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Special Rapporteur is calling for responses by June 15th, 2020 due to the urgency of the situation. The outcomes of this study will be presented to the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly, which will begin on September 15, 2020.

The questionnaire covers a wide range of issues and impacts on Indigenous Peoples’ rights to health and medical care, food, livelihoods, cultural practices, mobility, access to vital services and infrastructure, self-determination and participation in decision-making regarding the development and implementation of their own as well as the state's responses to the pandemic.

It also requests information about human rights violations occurring and, in some cases, increasing, during this crisis, including development projects lacking the free prior and informed consent of the Indigenous Peoples impacted and reprisals against Indigenous human and environmental rights defenders. It also calls for the submission of good practices and identification of gaps by states, Indigenous Peoples, and other relevant parties.

Tzay assumed his role as Special Rapporteur on May 1, 2020, with the pandemic already underway.

“Prior to assuming my mandate I had already designated a list of priority issues for the first year of my term. This includes land and resource rights, Indigenous human rights defenders, rights of Indigenous elders, women and children, Indigenous persons with disabilities, cultural rights, and militarization,” Tzay said. “Based on the urgent information I have already received from Indigenous Peoples from all regions, I can confirm that the COVID-19 pandemic, in both its impacts and the responses undertaken by some states, directly impacts all of these rights and concerns, and must be addressed in the most urgent manner by my mandate.”

The questionnaire can be downloaded using the following links:

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/SRIndigenousPeoples/Pages/Callforinput_COVID19.aspx

More Stories Like This

Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Congressional Candidate Jonathan Nez Makes 4 Stops on Navajo Nation on Monday
'Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power': Harris Makes Last Campaign Stop in East Lansing, Mich.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren Endorses Kamala Harris for President

Join our Founder’s Circle: a special group of supporters who are dedicated to ensuring that Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism. To join the Founder's Circle, we ask that you make a monthly recurring contribution of $15 or more or a one-time donation of $175 or more. 

About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].