Statement on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples United Nations Headquarters
By working closely with rural poor people to understand their aspirations and the barriers they face to getting ahead, IFAD supported projects help reduce poverty in some of the world’s most remote and fragile places and among its poorest and most marginalized people. IFAD works with poor rural people, governments, donors, non-governmental organizations and many other partners to fight the underlying causes of poverty. Projects supported by IFAD strengthen the capacity of rural poor people and their organizations to advocate and negotiate on their own behalf. They increase rural poor people’s access to assets that others throughout the world use to improve their lives, but many people take for granted:
Poverty is closely linked to marginalization and among the most vulnerable and marginalized of the rural poor are indigenous peoples, who make up one-third of the 900 million extremely poor rural people in the world. For a host of political and historical reasons, many have been pushed onto the least fertile and most fragile lands. In these isolated and harsh environments, many indigenous people find it difficult to grow enough food to eat, to earn a living, to be educated and learn new skills, to get medical care and to take steps to improve their lives.
As indigenous peoples become aware that their rights are being ignored, they are increasingly frustrated. Today, many of the world’s conflict zones are inhabited by indigenous communities. Areas where ethnic minority groups are subjected to extreme forms of civil rights violations have become flashpoints of insurgency. The geographical overlap between areas of on-going conflicts and areas where indigenous peoples live suggests that ending their marginalization would promote the stability that the poor need to take advantage of development opportunities. IFAD’s special interest in supporting indigenous peoples is based not only on poverty reduction, social justice and humanitarian concerns. The Fund also values the enormous unrealized potential of indigenous peoples. For many indigenous peoples, culture and traditions are exceedingly important. If poverty is to be eradicated in their communities, indigenous cultures, value systems, knowledge and aspirations must form the basis of all actions. Indigenous peoples’ value systems are often based on a close relationship with natural resources, for both subsistence and spiritual needs. Consequently, indigenous peoples play a crucial role in the stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources and biodiversity. Indigenous peoples, in particular women, have rich and varied local systems of traditional knowledge. These systems include vast knowledge about ecosystem management, technologies, medicinal plants and local crops. Managed sustainably, territories where indigenous peoples live hold considerable economic potential as sources of water, timber and high-value niche products such as medicinal plants, organic foods and hand-woven fabrics. While these kinds of products are increasingly the focus of commercial interest, indigenous communities rarely receive a fair share of the economic benefits. And possibilities for the future are increasingly diminishing as private companies apply for patents on plants and other resources that have traditionally been used by indigenous peoples. Legal instruments are needed to prevent the over-extraction of timber, minerals and plants, as well as to protect the intellectual property rights of indigenous peoples.
Securing land rights has been a central focus of IFAD’s work with indigenous peoples. IFAD-supported initiatives have increasingly recognized the importance of helping indigenous peoples to secure collective rights to their ancestral territories and natural resources. Initiatives have included providing funding for establishing legal defence funds for reducing transaction costs of legal cases. For example, in Nepal an innovative project has helped indigenous men and women get information and training on their rights and how to assert them. IFAD has experience in initiating culturally sensitive approaches, in revitalizing traditional knowledge systems and in blending them with modern technology in a broad range of areas, including:
By working closely with several indigenous peoples’ communities, IFAD has gained experience in preventing conflicts and supporting peacemaking. This experience includes supporting the involvement of women as peace brokers. IFAD has also supported the development of pro-indigenous peoples partnerships, both through advocacy campaigns and participation in events highlighting poverty and sustainable development. It established close networks with both the indigenous caucus and like-minded partners at the World Summit, and helped to establish an informal interagency forum in Latin America. The Regional Programme in Support of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin (PRAIA), supported by IFAD, has had a pioneering role in working with indigenous peoples in the region that is now being widely recognized. However, IFAD believes that more strategic interventions and more effective advocacy is required to place indigenous peoples’ perspectives and concerns before decision-makers at all levels. Following are some examples of where IFAD’s experience can support broader initiatives, through partnerships with governments and other organizations.
For IFAD, the way forward is to recognize the following principles when working with indigenous peoples, and indeed with all marginalized groups:
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In
the 25 years since it was created, IFAD has maintained an exclusive focus
on reducing poverty in rural areas throughout the world. 
Living
in remote areas, far from centres of commerce and power, they may also
find it difficult to influence the policies, laws and institutions that
can improve their circumstances and shape their futures. Many indigenous
peoples, for example, do not have the legal right to live on the lands
they depend on for survival or to use the resources they have managed
sustainably for sometimes thousands of years. Increasingly, these valuable
resources are exploited by outsiders, with few benefits flowing to indigenous
communities and little regard for natural environments. This exploitation
of resources can sometimes result in indigenous peoples being displaced
from their traditional lands.
IFAD
works with indigenous peoples mainly in