Abstracts
Abstract
The following article discusses the UN Special Interim Report and its significance to the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The article reviews how the UN Special Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has been used as a critical tool for promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples globally by emphasizing the need for meaningful engagement with Indigenous individuals and communities in decision-making processes, notably on issues that affect their traditional lands, waters and resources and their spiritual practices. The article also discusses how the UN Special Interim Report was developed through extensive consultations with Indigenous Peoples, community groups, and various stakeholders with the scope of revealing the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples. Finally, the article will reflect upon the positive responses generated by the Report and the ongoing discourse to encourage further engagement with the findings.
Keywords:
- UN Interim Report,
- Freedom of Religion or Belief,
- UN Special Procedures,
- Indigenous Peoples,
- Engagement,
- Dialogue
Download the article in PDF to read it.
Download
Appendices
Bibliography
- “A Rough Guide to the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.” Universal Rights Group. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.universal-rights.org/a-rough-guide-to-the-special-procedures-of-the-human-rights-council/.
- Abbott, Kenneth W., and Duncan Snidal. “Hard and Soft Law in International Governance.” International Organization 54, no. 3 (2000): 421–456.
- Bain, Sophia, Graham Paradis, and Catherine Stockall. “What We Heard Report: Indigenous Online Safety.” Department of Canadian Heritage. February 28, 2024. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/harmful-online-content/what-we-heard-online-safety.html.
- Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Religions und Weltanschauungsfreiheit. Dritter Bericht Der Bundesregierung Zur Weltweiten Lage Der Religions- Und Weltanschauungsfreiheit. Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, 2020 Bis 2022. https://religionsfreiheit.bmz.de/religionsfreiheit-de/der-bericht.
- Bielefeldt, Heiner, Nazila Ghanea, and Michael Wiener. Freedom of Religion or Belief: An Inter-national Law Commentary. Oxford Academic, Online Edition, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1093/law/9780198703983.001.0001.
- Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Libertad de Religión у Creencia, OEA/Ser.L/V/II. Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, September 10, 2023.
- Corsalini, Matteo. “ESG Capitalism from a Law and Religion Perspective.” Religions 14, no. 3 (March 2023): 418. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030418.
- Cross, Timothy. “Our Sacred Relationships to the Natural World: Indigenous Leaders Discuss UN Report on Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Center for Earth Ethics, November 11, 2022. https://centerforearthethics.org/blog/our-sacred-relationships-to-the-natural-world-indigenous-leaders-discuss-un-report-on-freedom-of-religion-or-belief/.
- “Discussion Paper on Religious Intolerance.” Canadian Human Rights Commission. October 23, 2023. https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/resources/publications/discussion-paper-religious-intolerance.
- Dunstan, Joseph, and Andi Yu, “Victoria's Aboriginal Treaty Body Urges Facebook Parent Company Meta to Clamp Down on Racist Abuse.” ABC News. May 25, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-26/aboriginal-treaty-first-peoples-assembly-facebook-racist-abuse/102394960.
- Fallers Sullivan, Winnifred. Prison Religion: Faith-Based Reform and the Constitution. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009.
- Fallers Sullivan, Winnifred. Ministry of Presence: Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care, and the Law. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2014.
- “Freedom to Be.” Center for Earth Ethics, Our Work. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://centerfor earthethics.org/our-work/freedom-to-be/.
- “Freedom to Be: Indigenous Perspectives on How the Mainstream Development Model Affects Their Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Center for Earth Ethics. April 24, 2024. https://centerforearthethics.org/event/freedom-to-be-indigenous-perspectives-on-how-the-mainstream-development-model-affects-their-right-to-freedom-of-religion-or-belief/.
- Ghanea, Nazila and Michael Wiener. “Freedoms of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief at 75.” In Shaping a World of Freedoms: 75 Years of Legacy and Impact of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, edited by Nelu Burcea and Liberato C. Bautista, 1–17. New York: UNEQUAL World Research Center, 2023.
- Golay, Christophe, Claire Mahon, and Ioana Cismas. “The Impact of UN Special Procedures on the Development and Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.” The International Journal of Human Rights 15, no. 2 (2011): 299–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2011.537472.
- Gross, Liza. “Indigenous Leaders Urge COP28 Negotiators to Focus on Preventing Loss and Damage and Drastically Reducing Emissions.” Inside Climate News, Justice and Health. December 2, 2023. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02122023/cop28-indigenous-leaders-agenda/.
- Hines, Ali. “Decade of Defiance: Ten Years of Reporting Land and Environmental Activism Worldwide.” Global Witness. September 28, 2022. Updated May 10, 2023. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/decade-defiance/#a-global-analysis-2021.
- Human Rights Institute. Engaging U.N. Special Procedures to Advance Human Rights at Home: A Guide for U.S. Advocates. Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute, 2015. https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/human_rights_institute/33.
- Huy Advisory Board. “Huy Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee Concerning Religious Freedoms of Indigenous Persons Deprived of Their Liberty in the United States of America in Relation to the United States’ 5th Periodic Report.” 139th Session, 09 October – 03 November 2023. Submitted September 12, 2023.
- “IACHR Publishes Report on Inter-American Standards Concerning Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Press Release. February 14, 2024. https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2024/032.asp.
- “In Memoriam: 33 Indigenous Rights Defenders Murdered in 2021 in Latin America,” Cultural Survival. January 13, 2022. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/memoriam-33-indigenous-rights-defenders-murdered-2021-latin-america.
- Jackson Pulver, Lisa, et al. “How Hate Speech during the Voice Campaign Can Harm Personal Wellbeing, as Well as Democracy.” The Conversation, September 4, 2023. http://theconversation.com/how-hate-speech-during-the-voice-campaign-can-harm-personal-wellbeing-as-well-as-democracy-211730.
- Leave No One Behind: The Well-Being of the Planet and Its People The 2024 G20 Interfaith and PaRD Annual Forum on Religion and Sustainable Development. G20 Interfaith Forum and International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.partner-religion-development.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IF20-PaRD_Annual-Forum-2024_Concept-Note.pdf.
- Lyons, Betty. “Freedom of Religion or Belief: Betty Lyons’ Remarks on the UN Special Rapporteur’s Report.” Center for Earth Ethics. November 22, 2023. https://centerforearthethics.org/blog/freedom-of-religion-or-belief-the-thanksgiving-address-and-doctrine-of-discovery-betty-lyons-delivers-remarks-following-the-un-special-rapporteur-report/.
- Massazza, Alessandro. “Explained: How Climate Change Affects Mental Health.” Welcome. November 8, 2023. https://wellcome.org/news/explained-how-climate-change-affects-mental-health.
- McNally, Michael. “Comments Delivered to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.” Journal of the Council for Research on Religion 5, no. 2 (2024): 46–53, https://doi.org/10.26443/jcreor.v5i2.114.
- “Myanmar Crisis Taking Huge Toll on People, Military Using Disproportionate Force, Burning Civilian Structures, Third Committee Hears Today.” United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. Seventy-Seventh Session. 31st & 32nd Meetings. October 25, 2022. https://press.un.org/en/2022/gashc4358.doc.htm.
- “Pact for the Future Zero Draft.” United Nations Summit of the Future, Pact for the Future. January 26, 2024. https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future/pact-for-the-future-zero-draft.
- Rajagopal, Balakrishnan. “International Law and Its Discontents: Rethinking the Global South.” Proceedings of the Annual ASIL Meeting 106 (2012): 176–181. https://doi.org/10.5305/procannmeetasil.106.0176.
- Ramcharan, Bertrand G. The Protection Roles of UN Human Rights Special Procedures. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill | Nijhoff, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004171473.i-214.
- Shaheed, Ahmed. “Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination in the Name of Religion or Belief. Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.” UN. Freedom of Religion or Belief. New York: United Nations, August 24, 2020. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc4348-report-freedom-religion-or-belief-and-gender-equality.
- Shaheed, Ahmed. “Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief.” UN. Freedom of Religion or Belief. New York: United Nations, October 10, 2022. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a77514-interim-report-special-rapporteur-freedom-religion-or-belief.
- “Statement: Forced Sterilization of Indigenous Women: Courts Should Strongly Condemn This Persistent Form of Gross Violence against Indigenous Women, Their Families and Their Communities.” Indigenous Peoples Rights International. September 5, 2023. https://iprights.org/index.php/en/all-news/forced-sterilization-of-indigenous-women-courts-should-strongly-condemn-this-persistent-form-of-gross-violence-against-indigenous-women-their-families-and-their-communities.
- Subedi, Surya P. “Protection of Human Rights through the Mechanism of UN Special Rapporteurs.” Human Rights Quarterly 33, no. 1 (2011): 201–228. https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2011.0011.
- Sunuwar, Dev Kumar. “Japan Urged to Address Discrimination Against Ainu and Other Indigenous Peoples during Universal Periodic Review.” Cultural Survival. April 3, 2023. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/japan-urged-address-discrimination-against-ainu-and-other-indigenous-peoples-during-universal.
- “UN Charter-Based Institutions Including Special Procedures.” United Nations Sustainable Development Group. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/strengthening-international-human-rights/un-special-procedures.
- “UN Expert Hails Vatican Rejection of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’, Urges States to Follow Suit.” United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Press Releases Special Procedures. April 6, 2023. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/04/un-expert-hails-vatican-rejection-doctrine-discovery-urges-states-follow.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Combating Intolerance, Negative Stereotyping and Stigmatization of, and Discrimination, Incitement to Violence and Violence against, Persons Based on Religion or Belief.” United Nations General Assembly. Human Rights Council. Twenty-eighth session. Agenda items 2 and 9. January 19, 2015. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session28/Documents/A_HRC_28_47_en.doc.
- UN Secretary General. “Combating Intolerance, Negative Stereotyping and Stigmatization of, and Discrimination, Incitement to Violence and Violence against, Persons Based on Religion or Belief.” United Nations General Assembly. Seventy-eighth session. Agenda item 73. July 27, 2023. https://docs.un.org/en/A/78/241.
- UN Special Procedures. Communication to the Government of Brazil AL BRA 2/2023. May 9, 2023. Distributed by the OHCHR Communication Report and Search Database. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27968.
- UN Special Procedures. Communication to the Government of the Philippines AL PHL 4/2023. October 10, 2023. Distributed by the OHCHR Communication Report and Search Database. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28339.
- “Understanding the Special Procedures: Thematic Reports – What Do the Special Procedures Do?” ISHR Academy. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://academy.ishr.ch/learn/special-procedures/what-do-the-special-procedures-do-thematic-reports.
- United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Religious Freedom For Indigenous Communities in Latin America. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, June 2023. https://www.uscirf.gov/publications/religious-freedom-indigenous-communities-latin-america.
- World Health Organization. “The Health of Indigenous Peoples.” Seventy-Sixth World Health Assembly, Agenda Item 16.3. May 30, 2023. https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA76/A76_R16-en.pdf.
- Zengarini, Lisa. “Pope Upholds Indigenous Knowledge to Address Climate Crisis.” Vatican News. March 14, 2024. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-03/pope-upholds-indigenous-knowledge-to-address-climate-crisis.html.