UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Article 11.

(1) Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. (…)

  • Human rights

Article 19. States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.
  • Civil society engagement

Article 20. 

(1) Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities.

(2) Indigenous peoples deprived of their means of subsistence and development are entitled to just and fair redress.

  • Human rights
  • Civil society engagement

Article 21. (…)

(2) States shall take effective measures and, where appropriate, special measures to ensure continuing improvement of their economic and social conditions. (…)

  • Human rights

Article 31.

(1) Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. (…)

  • Human rights

Article 32.

(1) Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories and other resources.

(2) States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.

(3) States shall provide effective mechanisms for just and fair redress for any such activities, and appropriate measures shall be taken to mitigate adverse environmental, economic, social, cultural or spiritual impact.”

  • Human rights
  • Civil society engagement

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