The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, José Francisco Calí Tzay, has raised concerns regarding UNESCO’s delay in adopting the Outcome Document on Indigenous Peoples Rights. UNESCO is set to hold its 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi from 21 to 31 July 2024.
In a recent tweet, the Special Rapporteur expressed his concerns:
“In my capacity of Special Rapporteur: I am concerned at the reported delay to finalise the Outcome Document of the International Expert Workshop on Recognizing and Respecting #IndigenousPeoples’ Heritage Values in World Heritage Sites held in Geneva from Jan 17-19, 2024.
The WHC Report (WHC/24/46.COM/5A Paris, June 7, 2024) states that the Outcome Document is still being finalised. This delay has deprived the session of Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives amidst ongoing grave human rights violations in many heritage sites.
I call upon @UNESCO_es to ensure the respect for universal human rights standards, specifically the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in the Outcome Document and in its operations. #IndigenousRights #WorldHeritage #UNESCO”
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, alongside three UNESCO Advisory Bodies and the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH), organised an international expert workshop on recognising and respecting Indigenous Peoples’ heritage values in World Heritage sites. This event took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 16 to 18 January 2024. The workshop aimed to address concerns about the lack of recognition, respect, and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ heritage and values in World Heritage properties.
The workshop included a majority of Indigenous experts, three United Nations mechanisms on Indigenous issues (the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)), the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, and representatives from Australia and Norway. The main objective was to discuss Indigenous Peoples’ concerns about their heritage values in World Heritage sites.
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In its Decision 45 COM 5D, the World Heritage Committee welcomed the intent of the IIPFWH to organise this workshop, invited States Parties to contribute financially, and requested the Secretariat to include a report on it at the present session.
UNESCO, in its report to the 46th Session, stated that “At the time of writing, the outcome document of the workshop is being finalised by a drafting group of indigenous experts appointed by the IIPFWH.”
However, indigenous peoples’ experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur, are questioning this delay, suggesting it may be an attempt to dilute the already adopted Outcome Document.
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