Twenty years ago, at the first United Nations Earth Summit, the Australian government signed the Rio Declaration and committed to transforming the way Australians treat the environment.
Australia signed each of the subsequent international agreements intended to propel national action to overcome the great planetary threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification and degradtion.
Since Rio, we have become world leaders in failure: per person, responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions, more habitat lost, and greater biodiversity decline than any other developed country.
See Larissa's latest video blog from Rio +20 here:
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Indigenous Peoples’ Declaration on Sustainable Development
Rio + 20 Indigenous Peoples’ International Declaration on Sustainable
Development and Self-Determination,
19 June, 2012
Rio de Janeiro
Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world met at the “Indigenous
Peoples International Conference on Sustainable Development and Self
Determination,” from June 17th – 19th 2012 at the Museu da República in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
We thank the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil for welcoming us their homelands
and express our solidarity for their struggles against imposed development
such as the Belo Monte Dam which threaten their homelands and ways of life.
We also thank indigenous peoples from all regions of the world for their
preparatory activities and engagement in this process.
We affirm with one voice that it is time to assume the historical
responsibilities to reverse centuries of predation, pollution, colonialism,
the violation of rights and genocide. It is time to assume the
responsibilities towards our future generations. It is time to choose life.
1. Culture as a fundamental dimension of Sustainable Development
As Indigenous Peoples, our fundamental cultural belief systems and world
views based on our sacred relationships to each other and Mother Earth have
sustained our peoples through time. We recognize the contributions and
participation of our traditional knowledge holders, indigenous women and
youth.
Cultures are ways of being and living with nature, underpinning our values,
moral and ethical choices and our actions. Indigenous peoples’ abiding
survival is supported by our cultures, providing us with social, material,
and spiritual strength. We believe that all societies must foster cultures
of sustainability, and that Rio +20 should highlight culture as the most
fundamental dimension of sustainable development.
2. Full Exercise of our human and collective rights
We see that Mother Earth and all life is in a serious state of peril. We see
the current model of development continues to proceed on the road of peril.
As indigenous peoples we have experienced the terrible and negative impacts
of this approach. These threats extend to peoples in voluntary isolation.
Sustainable development is realized through the full exercise and
fulfillment of human rights. Indigenous Peoples see sustainable development
and self-determination as complementary. Progress in various countries has
happened to the extent that States have fulfilled their duties to respect,
protect and promote our human rights, while conflicts have escalated where
governments have imposed top-down development, whether labeled “sustainable”,
“pro-poor” or “green”. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples is the standard to be applied in the implementation of sustainable
development at all levels, including respect for full participation in
decision-making and our Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) to policies,
programmes and projects affecting us.
3. Strengthening diverse local economies and territorial management
For Indigenous Peoples, self-determination is the basis for Buen Vivir/
living well, and this is realized through secure land rights and territorial
management and the building of vibrant community economies. These local
economies provide sustainable local livelihoods, community solidarity and
are critical components of resilient ecosystems.
We will continue to strengthen and defend our economies and rights to our
lands, territories and resources, against extractive industries, predatory
investments, land-grabbing, forced relocation and unsustainable development
projects. These include large scale dams, plantations, large-scale
infrastructure, tar sands extraction and other mega-projects, as well as the
theft and appropriation of our biodiversity and traditional knowledge.
From the conference emerged many answers to address the global crises, as
varied as the many cultures present at the meeting. The greatest wealth is
nature’s diversity and its associated cultural diversity, both of which are
intimately connected and which should be protected in the same way.
Indigenous peoples call upon the world to return to dialogue and harmony
with Mother Earth, and to adopt a new paradigm of civilization based on Buen
Vivir – Living Well. In the spirit of humanity and our collective survival,
dignity and well-being, we respectfully offer our cultural world views as an
important foundation to collectively renew our relationships with each other
and Mother Earth and to ensure Buen Vivir/ living well proceeds with
integrity.
Based on these affirmations and agreements, we commit to carry out the
following actions:
Within and among Indigenous communities, Peoples and Nations
1) We will define and implement our own priorities for economic, social
and cultural development and environmental protection , based on our
traditional cultures, knowledge and practices, and the implementation of our
inherent right to Self-determination
2) We will revitalize, strengthen and restore our institutions and
methods for the transmission of our traditional knowledge and practices
focusing on transmission by our women and men elders to the next generations
3) We will restore knowledge and trade exchanges, including seed
exchanges, among our communities and Peoples reinforcing the genetic
integrity of our biodiversity.
4) We will stand in firm solidarity with each other’s struggles to oppose
projects that threaten our lands, forests, waters, cultural practices, food
sovereignty, traditional livelihoods, ecosystems, rights and ways of life.
We also stand in solidarity with others whose rights are being violated,
including campesinos, fishers and pastoralists.
Regarding Actions of States and Corporations:
1) We will continue to reject the dominant neo-liberal concept and
practice of development based on colonization, commodification,
contamination and exploitation of the natural world, and policies and
projects based on this model.
2) We insist that States fully implement their commitments under
National and International laws and standards which uphold the inherent,
inalienable, collective and inter-generational rights of Indigenous Peoples
and rights affirmed in Treaties, Agreements and Constructive Arrangements,
the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and ILO Convention
No. 169.
3) We will reject and firmly oppose States policies and programs that
negatively impact Indigenous Peoples’ lands and territories, ecosystems and
livelihoods, or which permit corporations or any other third parties to do
so.
At the United Nations
1) We insist on full and effective participation in all discussions and
standard setting activities regarding sustainable development, biodiversity,
environment and climate change and for the implementation of the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in all these processes.
2) We will carry these messages to the UN Conference on Sustainable
Development, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP, 2014) and all
other International processes where our rights and survival are affected.
We propose that Indigenous Peoples vision and practice of Sustainable
Development be a focus of discussion at the WCIP.
We adopt this Declaration on the 19th of June, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro,
affirming our rights and reiterating our sacred responsibilities to future
generations.