Timor-Leste: UN expert on rights of indigenous peoples to visit

GENEVA (4 April 2019) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, will carry out an official visit to Timor-Leste from 8 to 16 April.  

During her visit, Tauli-Corpuz will examine diverse issues affecting indigenous peoples, including customary justice systems, community land issues, education, conservation and climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. 

“I look forward to learn about Timorese culture and how the young Timorese nation is addressing challenges such as ensuring access to justice and the exercise of land rights,” said the Special Rapporteur.

“I will also study conservation measures and how Timor-Leste is dealing with the impacts of climate change,” she noted.

The visit is being held at the invitation of the Government of Timor-Leste. The Special Rapporteur will meet with Government and other State officials, civil society, the UN and others in Dili and will make community visits to discuss peoples’ priorities and concerns. 

At the end of her mission, on Tuesday 16 April, Tauli-Corpuz will present her preliminary findings and recommendations to the Government, followed by a press conference at 10:30am local time at Hotel Timor, Dili. Access will be limited to journalists.  

A final report containing findings and recommendations from the visit will be presented to the Human Rights Council in September 2019. 

ENDS

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Philippines), is a human rights activist working on indigenous peoples’ rights. Her work for more than three decades has been focused on movement building among indigenous peoples and also among women, and she has worked as an educator-trainer on human rights, development and indigenous peoples in various contexts. She is a member of the Kankana-ey, Igorot indigenous peoples in the Cordillera Region in the Philippines. 

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. 

See the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 

UN Human Rights, Country Page –Timor-Leste 

For additional information before and during the visit please contact: UN Human Rights Adviser, Ms. Anjet Lanting, anjet.lanting@one.un.org, mob: +670-78195933 or Human Rights Officer Ms. Christine Evans, cevans@ohchr.org, mob +41 79 5000032. 

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)