Situation of indigenous peoples in the Philippines

Urgent appeal to United Nations Organization

Vienna/New York/Geneva, 5 January 2009

P/RE/21458c-is

In urgent messages addressed to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navanethem Pillay, the President of the International Progress Organization (I.P.O.), Dr. Hans Koechler, today conveyed the text of a resolution adopted by the participants of the conference on "The Protection and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples' Rights" which was recently held in Quezon City, Manila.

The resolution makes reference to the reports issued by the United Nations Rapporteurs, Prof. Rodolfo Stavenhagen and Prof. Philip Alston, according to which the Philippine Government has been reluctant to fully acknowledge the extent and seriousness of the human rights situation in the country. The resolution further calls upon the President of the International Progress Organization, Dr. Hans Koechler, to ask the Economic and Social Council and other organs of the United Nations to look into the worsening situation of the indigenous peoples in the Philippines and to urge the Philippine Government to decisively implement its domestic laws on indigenous peoples, in particular the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997.

In today's messages, the President of the I.P.O. underlined the importance of full adherence by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to international norms pertaining to the status of indigenous peoples: "As non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC), the International Progress Organization urgently requests all competent United Nations bodies to remind the government of the Republic of the Philippines of its obligations under international human rights covenants for the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, especially in regard to the General Assembly's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

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• Full text of the resolution in support of the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines

• Press release of 15 December 2008 on the Manila conference

• Keynote address by Dr. Hans Koechler on "International Justice and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: The Case of the Philippines"

• Manila Bulletin