PHM-Exch> LOW HEALTH STANDARDS IMPEDING RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' RIGHTS -- BAN

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel at gmail.com>
crossposted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" <health-vn at anu.edu.au>,

From: UNNews <UNNews at un.org>

LOW HEALTH STANDARDS IMPEDING RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' RIGHTS --
BAN
New York, Aug  9 2009 10:00AM
The low standards of health among indigenous communities is perpetuating the
gap
in many countries between the recognition of their rights and the actual
situation on the ground, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling
for
swift action to find solutions.

In his <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12396.doc.htm">message
on
the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, the
Secretary-General
appealed to governments and civil society "to act with urgency and
determination
to close this implementation gap, in full partnership with indigenous
peoples."

This year's Day focuses on the threat posed by HIV and AIDS, and Mr. Ban
underscored the importance of indigenous people having access to the
information
and services needed for detection, treatment and prevention.

This marginalized group -- numbering 370 million in 70 countries -- suffers
disproportion
ately from low health standards linked to poverty, malnutrition,
environmental
contamination and inadequate healthcare, he said.

Calling the world's indigenous peoples the "custodians of some of the most
biologically diverse areas on Earth" who speak a majority of all languages,
the
Secretary-General welcomed some recent national moves in which governments
have
apologized for past injustices, while others have adopted legal reforms.

But he cautioned that "many face discrimination and racism on a daily
basis," as
well as poverty and inadequate access to education.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the International Day
is
an occasion to reaffirm the commitment to translate positive developments in
international human rights standards into concrete progress for indigenous
peoples.

"To achieve this, we all -- States, indigenous peoples, the United Nations
system and others concerned -- must join our efforts and reach solutions
based
on true dialogue, mutual under
standing, tolerance and respect for human rights," she noted in a statement.

"This is no easy task. But it is the only way we can move the rights of
indigenous peoples from paper to practice."

In 1994, the General Assembly proclaimed 9 August -- the anniversary of the
first meeting in 1982 of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of
the
Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights -- to be the
International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

It will be commemorated this year at UN Headquarters in New York tomorrow
with
cultural events and panel discussions.

________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20090810/14bdc9ca/attachment-0001.html>