I. Implementation of the Amazon Indigenous Agenda, AIA
Taking into account two concerns, as follows:
We, Amazon indigenous peoples are real actors for the conservation of tropical rainforests, natural resources and cultural diversity of the countries in the region.
Different external actors that intervene in the Amazon basin are directing programs and projects that are inconsistent with the priorities of Amazon indigenous peoples.
We have resolved to:
Promote the common strategy of the Amazon indigenous movement, for it to be respected by National States, multilateral organizations, NGOs and other actors. This strategy has been defined in the Amazon Indigenous Agenda, AIA, under the following thematic topics or areas: Human sustainability; Territories (lands) and natural resources; Our own legal and constitutional system; Strengthening ancestral and organizational wisdom; and Academic and scientific education.
II. Indigenous territories and natural resources
Taking into account the following issues:
1. Indigenous territories are the base of our existence as peoples and represent a tangible support for biodiversity conservation and the equilibrium of the world’s environment, since within them, the highest percentages of forests on their natural states are being found and sheltered.
2. The exploitation of natural resources in our territories takes place without even a minimum respect for human rights of indigenous peoples, which have been inscribed in political constitutions and international instruments. This is specially the case of oil, mining, timber, and agro- industries, as well as other mega-projects, which increase environmental contamination, socio-cultural impacts, poverty, fragmentation of our communities, impunity for crimes committed and institutionalized corruption by governments.
3. Amazon indigenous territories have been transformed into strategic sites for the presence of armed actors and drug-dealers, which generate “lesa humanity” crimes, as well as the massive displacement towards urban centers, increasing the networks of marginality and poverty.
4. The implementation of the Colombia Plan, is a genocide and ethnocide policy against Amazon indigenous peoples.
We have resolved to:
1. Demand the respective governments of Amazon countries to take a political decision and to establish the minimum conditions to reinforce the demarcation areas, a task to be coordinated with indigenous organizations; as well as the legalization and the respect toward indigenous peoples.
2. Strengthen the formulation initiatives of the life plans of Amazon indigenous peoples, focusing on the appropriation of the existing natural resources in our own territories.
3. Request National States to urgently adopt administrative policies and measures for the control and legal security of indigenous territories, as well as the intangible areas declaration for all extractive activities taking place, especially in the territories of voluntarily isolated indigenous peoples.
4. National States, will respect the organizational processes and the decisions made by indigenous peoples, among them, on the exploitation of renewable and non- renewable natural resources and all new or future extractive activities in our territories. In the areas where transnational firms are currently operating, we demand an urgent revision of the respective contracts or licenses, with the aim of including into them, the respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, with our full and effective participation.
5. To design policies and strategies for the use and management of natural resources, such as oil, mining, timber and other existing in our territories, based on the respect for our collective rights.
6. To declare the ancestry of our territories, including the toponymia, as intangible geographic spaces of peace, human and environmental sustainability for our survival.
III. Cooperation policies towards indigenous peoples
Considering the following:
1. Development projects executed by governmental and multilateral agencies, as well as NGOs, have been designed and oriented under realities that are different from those of indigenous peoples. This then, leads to paternalism and dependence of our communities, disabling the creation of minimum conditions to achieve human sustainable development.
2. Economic resources obtained from international cooperation only help to uphold bureaucracy of these organizations and feed governors’ incompetence.
3. International cooperation projects and programs with indigenous peoples have the objective of alleviating tensions for the implementation of mega-projects carried out by governments and private firms over indigenous territories.
4. The intermediation of external agents, especially of NGOs do not allow for a direct relation between indigenous peoples with international cooperation organization for the execution of projects and programs of their own indigenous peoples.
We resolve to:
1. Monitor and evaluate the economic resources coming to the countries of the Amazon basin from the international cooperation. This will be done especially over those resources that are raised in the name of indigenous peoples, which only feeds executing organizations’ bureaucracy and forbid the empowerment of our organizations as well as the formation of our own technical staff.
2. Broaden the empowerment of indigenous organization with strategic alliances so as to advocate on the reviews of policies for indigenous peoples on multilateral, international and national organizations.
3. Develop lobbying activities so that if funding organizations are truly committed to maintaining cooperation bonds with indigenous peoples, the financial resources must be directly managed by indigenous peoples’ representation organizations, avoiding intermediation channels, which presently, don’t have our consent.
IV. International tools
1. Considering that, the adoption of international tools influence significantly the policies and regulations followed by National States.
We resolve to:
1. File lawsuits before international organizations for the violations of indigenous peoples rights, in each one of the Amazon countries.
4. Press National States such as Guyana, Surinam and France, so that they can recognize the existence of indigenous peoples and can ratify ILO’s Agreement 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples on Independent Countries.
V. Specific resolutions related to the problems endured by Amazon indigenous peoples
Having learnt about the grim situations that affect the lives of Amazon indigenous peoples in human rights matters,
COICA, resolves the following:
1. Regarding Brazil: to ask the Brazilian government to conclude the indigenous lands demarcation process and to establish an indigenous lands’ protection policy in lands that have already been demarked, so that invaders can be withdrawn from these lands. This policy should also permit to punish assassins of indigenous leaders, as law has established it. Also, the Brazilian government must set up a direct communication channel with indigenous organizations. Also, to carry out a High Court between President Lula da Silva COIAB and COICA, so as to define proposals of actions and policies of the Amazon indigenous peoples.
2. Regarding Colombia: we have acknowledged severe indigenous peoples’ human rights violations, caused by the legal and illegal armed actors of the country’s internal conflict, initiating disappearances, forced recruitment, displacements, threats, non-fulfillment of constitutional rights. Due to this, COICA requests the official visit of the UN’s special correspondent for Indigenous Affairs, aiming at the development of a report on the situation of indigenous peoples in this country, for the following specific cases:
· The situation of the NUKAK MAKUK peoples, which are severely threatened and soon to become extinct.
· That, through the Colombia Office, the High Commissioner of the United Nations takes prompt and urgent measures on the situation that we, indigenous are enduring, in the framework of the internal armed conflict.
3. Regarding Peru: COICA resolves to demand the Peruvian government to take timely and suitable measures to protect the territories as well as the voluntarily isolated indigenous peoples, and guarantee the full respect of their rights, exactly as the National Constitution and ILO’s Agreement 169 established it.
Additionally, we urge the National Congress of the Republic to include the indigenous peoples’ consensual proposal within the constitutional reform, according to AIDESEP’s attached annex.
4. Regarding the situation of the peoples of French Guyana, COICA resolves to recommend the Government of the French Republic, to ratify ILO’s Agreement 169.
We want to make a solemn call so that:
· The Republic of France proceeds to ratify ILO’s Agreement 169.
· The conditions for a new relationship between the government and indigenous peoples of Guyana can be urgently established, by the signature of a pact, whose object will be the acknowledgment and the need to make amends for the injustices suffered by our peoples since colonization until now.
· The proposal given by FOAG to the Minister of the Other Side of the Sea, Mrs. Brigitte Girardin, whose objective is to obtain the legal recognition of this social organization, its traditional authorities and to guarantee the territorial and natural resource rights of Guyana’s indigenous peoples.
· The participation of the indigenous peoples of Guyana can be acknowledged and guaranteed in every decision-making process that directly or indirectly affects their fundamental rights.
· A permanent mission can be established jointly with Guyana’s indigenous peoples institutions, to follow and continue the national dialogue process.
5. Regarding Surinam: COICA considers that foreign mining firms, which extract bauxite, timber and gold, are the leading actors that destroy the tropical forests of Surinam. Their need and quest for expansion, power and money has become unlimited. This will lead to the downfall of the ecosystem and of the unique biodiversity in the last pristine tropical rainforest of the Guyanas. COICA thus, resolves to back up the resolutions of the OIS in the defense of their territorial rights and their demands so that the contamination of their environment, rivers and waters is finally stopped.
COICA has resolved also, to express their support to the activities carried out by the Action Committee: “Saving West Surinam”.
6. Regarding Ecuador: COICA demands the national government and the transnational oil firms to comply with a reliable fulfillment of the Constitution (collective rights) and further international tools (ILO’s Agreement 169), as well as the mandate of the CONFENIAE to prevent the violations of indigenous nationalities’ rights, especially in the provinces of Pastaza and Morona Santiago, Block 23 (CGC), of the Sarayacu Community and of Block 24 (Burlington), which affect the Shuar, Achuar, Shiwiar, Zápara and Kichwa nationalities. Likewise, we demand for the immediate suspension of the Ninth and Tenth round Call for oil bidding process.
7. Regarding Venezuela: we resolve to ratify and support the resolution proposal, which stands on the following terms:
“Agreement of the Amazon Basin’s Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations (COICA):
The Indian National Council of Venezuela (CONIVE), attending COICA’s meeting, held in Quito, on April 7th-11th, 2003, wishes to request the members of the coordination council of this representative organization of the nine Amazon countries, to declare their support and to sum on to the efforts against the following issues:
· The process of structural, political and social change that is being promoted in the country, has produced a discredit campaign provoked by the ever-existing oligarchy and reactive forces, which have exploited us and discriminated us for 511 years. Still now, they continue to carry on their genocide policies and oppression desires towards our people.
· That indigenous peoples and communities emphatically reject the incursion and intervention of hegemonic power, which, with specific and strategic economic interests, promotes political de-stabilization through acts of terrorism through the media, and actions such as the failed coup against the Venezuelan government, which maintains the latent danger of the elimination of constitutional rights, conquered by indigenous peoples and communities.
On these issues, we have resolved the following:
· To demand the world and our indigenous brothers of the Amazon Basin their support and solidarity on the definition and self-determination process that is currently being held in our country; since this aggressive threat is not only for Venezuela but for all the countries in the continent, were the direct victims are indigenous peoples and their territories, which account as most vulnerable main targets.
· We demand the respect for the lives of our indigenous peoples, and thus, promote the Latin-American Pluri-cultural Integration, the multi-polar unity and solidarity of peoples, so as to guarantee the rule of law and the survival of our peoples”.
8. Concerning Guyana: we request the government to stop the acceptance process of mining concessions inside our around our territories. Moreover, we demand it to stop the destruction of our culture and environment for the severe consequences found in our territories as well as to consider economic alternatives to mining activities.
VI. On partnerships (alliances)
The Amazonic, Climate and World Alliance of Tropical Forests’ Indigenous Peoples, resolves to request their organizations and members to hold up and support COICA on its institutional and organizational empowerment. |
