Indigenous peoples: Human rights expert in first visit to Honduras

GENEVA / TEGUCIGALPA (30 October 2015) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, will carry out her first official visit to Honduras from 2 to 10 November 2015 to study the situation of indigenous peoples in the country.

“During my mission, I will explore the issue of land rights and access to natural resources, the impact of conservation, extractive, energy and development initiatives on indigenous peoples’ lands, as well as issues related to violence, access to justice and social and economic development,” said Ms. Tauli-Corpuz.

"I hope this visit will help raise awareness of the problems that indigenous peoples living in Honduras face on a daily basis and which remain largely ignored,” said Ms. Tauli-Corpuz, who also noted that this will be the first time that an independent expert tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor, report and advise on indigenous peoples' rights will be visiting the country.

“My visit is also about promoting solutions so indigenous peoples can effectively enjoy their collective and individual human rights,” she said.

During her nine-day visit, the Special Rapporteur will meet with Government officials, indigenous representatives and civil society organizations in Tegucigalpa. She will also travel to the Puerto Lempira, Auka, La Esperanza, Rio Blanco and La Ceiba where she will meet local government representatives and indigenous organizations to explore issues related to the protection of their lands, natural resources and livelihoods.

At the end of her mission, on Tuesday 11 November, Ms. Tauli-Corpuz will present her preliminary findings at a press conference that will be held in the morning (time to be confirmed) in Hotel Plaza del Conquistador, Plaza San Martin, in Tegucigalpa.

The Special Rapporteur will submit a full report to the UN Human Rights Council with her conclusions and recommendations on the issues studied during her mission in March 2016.

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. As Special Rapporteur, she is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-indigenous-peoples
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: http://www.ohchr.org/en/indigenous-peoples/un-declaration-rights-indigenous-peoples

For further information and media requests, please contact Ms. Hee-Kyong Yoo (+41 22 917 97 23 or at +41 79 444 4917 during the mission / hyoo@ohchr.org) or write to indigenous@ohchr.org.

In Tegucigalpa (during the mission), please contact Mr. Félix Daniel Gómez (+504 22201100, Ext 1203 / fgomez@ohchr.org).

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