Mr. Luigi Einaudi, Acting Secretary General of the Organization of American States,
Ambassador Manuel Maria Caseres Cardozo, President of the Permanent Council,
Ambassador Juan León, Chair of the Working Group,
Ms. Ana Peña, Vice- Chair of the Working Group,
Dr. Isabel Madariaga of Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Distinguished Representatives of the States,
Sisters and Brothers Distinguished Representatives of the Indigenous Peoples

Mr. Chair, Esteemed Delegates of the States,

We, Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, observe with concern that in the negotiation sessions the recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples has been slowed down and blocked. We are concerned by the insistence of some States who want to establish lower standards of human rights for the Indigenous Peoples than those established in international law and also want to subject those standards to national legislation, much of which does not even recognize the existence of Indigenous Peoples.

As representatives of the Indigenous Peoples, we did not come here to negotiate the Human Rights of the Indigenous Peoples. This principle is upheld by international law that affirms that human rights are not negotiable. Human Rights are inherent, indivisible, permanent and inalienable, and States have the obligation to recognize and protect them. We are hopeful that some States will revise and reflect on their positions, which are very far from generating dialogue, tolerance and respect for the diversity that characterizes the Americas.

The suppression of or discrimination against the different identities of the Indigenous Peoples does not contribute to the realization of democracy within the States.

Mr. Chair, the lands, territories and natural resources are crucial for our lives and the survival of the future generations of our peoples and of humanity. We regret that some States insist on hindering the recognition of our fundamental rights, such as our right to our harmonious relationship with nature. For us, the collective property of our lands and territories that we have traditionally and historically occupied, and the management and administration of our surface and subsurface resources are crucial for our survival and development.

These rights are intrinsically linked to the spiritual, cultural, economic and social rights of Indigenous Peoples. But some States are in contravention to the jurisprudence of the Inter-American system itself that recognizes the right to land, territory and culture as a whole.

Free, prior and informed consent is an important guarantee for the exercise of the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. We would like to call attention to the way in which States that resist the recognition of this right and prioritize interests that are contrary to human rights and to the essence of democracy.

Mr. Chair, esteemed delegates, we would like to remind the Representative of the States of the need for national consultations that are not just a mere space for dialogue. These consultations could help transcend the differences of the understanding of the collective rights of the Indigenous Peoples and of the very content of the declaration.

Esteemed delegates, the democratization of the Americas is not limited to only free and transparent elections and the recognition of democratic governments. Rather, democratization necessarily includes the recognition and enjoyment of the human rights by all citizens of the States. We do not want the historic situation which occurred when States were created and our rights were violated to repeat itself; that is why we come on behalf of our peoples to demand that the damage done by this historic exclusion be rectified.

"May the Americas never again exclude Indigenous Peoples”

Thank you.