Letter by FPP to the UN Special Rapporteur

30 October 2006

Luis Rodríguez-Piñero Royo
Human Rights Officer
Special Procedures Branch
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
1211 Geneva 10 – Switzerland

Tel. + 41 - 22 917 91 34; fax + 41 - 22 917 90 10
Email: lrodriguez-pinero@ohchr.org

Request to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples to address an Urgent Appeal to the State regarding the systematic, pervasive and widespread violations of the rights of indigenous peoples in DRC that have given rise to a threat of immediate and irreparable harm

This request to the Special Rapporteur to address an Urgent Appeal to the Democratic Republic of Congo highlights the widespread, persistent and systematic violations of the rights of indigenous peoples that have given rise to the threat of immediate and irreparable harm.

This communication is being submitted by the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) on behalf of Centre d’Accompagnement des Autochtones Pygmées et Minoritaires Vulnérables (CAMV), Association Pour le Regroupement et l’Autopromotion des Pygmées (ARAP), Collectif pour les Peuples Autochtones au Kivu (CPAKI/RDC), Action Pour la Promotion des Droits des Minorités Autochtones en Afrique Centrale (APDMAC), Solidarité pour les Initiatives des Peuples Autochtones (SIPA), Union Pour l’Emancipation de la Femme Autochtones (UEFA), and FPP. The accompanying NGO report and annexes provide detailed information in support of this request.

This communication respectfully requests that the Special Rapporteur:

(a) address an Urgent Appeal to the State in relation to the ongoing systematic, pervasive and widespread violations of the rights of indigenous peoples in DRC which have given rise to a threat of immediate and irreparable harm;

(b) commence a dialogue with the State to ensure that the rights of indigenous peoples to own their lands, territories and resources traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used are recognized and respected and that their rights to participate in and consent to activities that may affect them are recognized and respected;

(c) formulate recommendations and proposals to the State on appropriate measures and activities to prevent and remedy violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people in DRC;

(d) communicates with the World Bank and other United Nations agencies to ensure that indigenous peoples’ rights are fully accounted for and respected in the design and implementation of technical and project assistance in the natural resource management sector in DRC;

(e) share his communications with other human rights mechanisms with a view to further collaboration, including the UN CERD, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Sincerely,

Ms. Lucy K. Mulvagh

On behalf of the submitting organisations

Email: lucy@forestpeoples.org