Bogota - Rodolfo Stavenhagen, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples, will guide discussions among Indigenous and Afro-descendant traditional authorities, Colombian government officials, and mining company representatives during a national workshop on the rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendant People to participate meaningfully in decisions related to mining projects on ancestral lands.
The workshop entitled, Gathering on free, prior, and informed consultation and consent (FPIC) for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples: international and Colombian standards in the extractive sector, takes place in Bogota, Colombia, July 13-15th. It is organized by The North-South Institute (NSI) in cooperation with Colombia’s Resguardo Indigena Cañamomo Lomaprieta, which represents 32 Indigenous communities in the country, and the Proceso de Comunidades Negras, Colombia's largest Afro-descendant People's organization.
Part of NSI's multi-year programme entitled, Indigenous Perspectives on Decision-Making about Mining and Other Natural Resources in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada, the workshop in Colombia is a precedent-setting effort to give voice to those whose lives and livelihoods will be most affected by mining activities in Colombia - namely, Indigenous and Afro-descendant People - as well as highlight government and private sector responses and responsibilities.
"There is an urgent need for a national dialogue on the right to consultation and consent in Colombia," says Viviane Weitzner, NSI Senior Researcher and project lead. "The evidence shows that this approach could help reduce conflict and promote equitable development."
The Colombian government is currently drafting a bill to facilitate free, prior, and informed consultation of Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples following the country’s ratification of the landmark International Labour Organization Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal rights. However, concerns remain that people most affected by the bill have not yet been adequately consulted. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of a free trade agreement with Canada and negotiations towards similar agreements with other countries, mining activity continues to grow in Colombia.
"This workshop comes at a critical moment in Colombia's history," says Efren Reyes, Chief Governor of the Resguardo Indigena Cañamomo Lomaprieta. "Given Colombia's increasing involvement in extractive activities, it is vital for our voices to be heard and our rights to be protected. The integrity of our territories, cultural identity and our very lives and livelihoods are at stake."
"There is huge pressure over the resources that communities traditionally use," says Lisifrey Ararat of the PCN, the largest Afro-descendant People's organization in Colombia. "That is why this workshop - and the discussions that will arise from it - is so critical."
In addition to Stavenhagen, Norway's Ambassador as well as other diplomats, a representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Colombian government officials, mining company spokespeople and civil society members will also participate in the 3-day event.
Contact:
Maite Ormaechea
Communications Manager, NSI
613-241-3535 ext. 235
mormaechea@nsi-ins.ca
Karine LeBlanc
Communications Officer, NSI
613-241-3535 ext. 245
kleblanc@nsi-ins.ca
The North-South Institute (NSI) is Canada's leading independent think tank dedicated to policy-relevant research and analysis on foreign policy and international development issues. For more than 30 years, the Institute has worked with partners in the South, creating and promoting research that helps reduce poverty, advance social justice and supports our mission of research for a fairer world.