UN Human Rights Expert Calls on Brazil to Uphold Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, José Francisco Calí Tzay issued a statement calling on the Supreme Court and Senate of Brazil to ensure the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories, and natural resources. Additionally, he raised concerns over a law that risks depriving indigenous peoples of their traditional lands.

“The rights of Indigenous Peoples are upheld and guaranteed by international legal standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention No. 169, and they are not alienable and cannot be negotiated. Indigenous Peoples rights must be recognised, applied and respected at both federal and state levels – whether through demarcation processes and protection of indigenous lands and territories, or through the implementation of national policies to ensure the right to life, health and security of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil,” stated the Special Rapporteur.

The full statement of the Special Rapporteur can be found on the website of the OHCHR.