ILC's Indigenous Peoples' Global Platform Advocates for Inclusive Mechanisms at the UN

ILC AIMS TO STRENGHTEN INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION

The ILC Indigenous Peoples’ Global Platform, represented by THE co-chair and focal point of the Amazigh AZUL network in Morocco (ILC-EMENA member), Amina Amharech, recently made a significant impact during an intersessional dialogue of the UN Human Rights Council. Amina emphasized the necessity of enhancing indigenous participation in the Council's work through inclusive and effective mechanisms.

During the dialogue, the principles of self-determination and self-identification, as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), were highlighted as fundamental rights that must be upheld without restrictive criteria. “Indigenous peoples, with their diverse and pluralistic cultures, need governance systems, whether ancestral or modern, that ensure their inclusive and effective representation,” stated Amharech.

NO ONE SHOULD BE LEFT BEHIND

The representative of ILC-EMENA proposed creating a mixed accreditation mechanism that includes designated representatives from the seven socio-cultural regions of the world and rotating representatives from member states. Furthermore, she advocated for a secure, simplified, and accessible accreditation system that addresses language, accessibility to land and resources, “ensuring no one is left behind”.

The 17th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, held last July, in Geneva, also reinforced these discussions by emphasizing the impact of energy policies on indigenous communities and the necessity for inclusive energy policies that consider indigenous rights to land.

The participation of the ILC Indigenous Peoples’ Platform in the diverse UN agencies and mechanisms, underscores the highlightable role of ILC in driving equitable and effective participation of indigenous peoples in global institutions.