Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa
Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa
Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa
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<strong>L<strong>and</strong></strong> rights <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> forest peoples <strong>of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> – Part II<br />
2 Contemporary <strong>Africa</strong>n <strong>and</strong> international human rights law<br />
In contrast with <strong>the</strong> rationales behind lawmaking processes during <strong>the</strong> colonial era, human<br />
rights developments since <strong>the</strong> 1948 Universal Declaration <strong>of</strong> Human <strong>Rights</strong> have created legal<br />
norms that operate according to a different paradigm. While traditionally international law is<br />
concerned with <strong>the</strong> rights <strong>of</strong> states to claim title to territory, human rights law focuses on <strong>the</strong><br />
rights both <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people <strong>and</strong> peoples living in those states. Hence international human rights<br />
law starts from a different perspective when it comes to l<strong>and</strong> rights: it requires that<br />
indigenous peoples’ ownership <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r rights to <strong>the</strong>ir l<strong>and</strong>s, territories <strong>and</strong> resources be<br />
legally recognised <strong>and</strong> respected. International human rights law protects extensively <strong>and</strong><br />
specifically indigenous peoples’ l<strong>and</strong> rights <strong>and</strong> connects <strong>the</strong>m to a variety <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r rights,<br />
including <strong>the</strong> general prohibition against racial discrimination, <strong>the</strong> right to property, <strong>the</strong> right<br />
to cultural integrity <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> right to self-determination.<br />
This section explains some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most relevant human rights st<strong>and</strong>ards pertaining to<br />
indigenous peoples’ right to l<strong>and</strong>, including provisions from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Union’s instruments,<br />
<strong>the</strong> United Nations system <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> International Labour Organization. Both set <strong>of</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
are applicable to <strong>Africa</strong>n countries <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Charter on Human <strong>and</strong> <strong>Peoples</strong>’ <strong>Rights</strong><br />
can be interpreted by reference to o<strong>the</strong>r international human rights instruments <strong>and</strong><br />
decisions. 25 Analysis <strong>of</strong> those st<strong>and</strong>ards reveals an important gap between <strong>the</strong> human rights<br />
situation <strong>of</strong> indigenous peoples <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> human rights protection provided by legal st<strong>and</strong>ards;<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir implementation remains challenging. Never<strong>the</strong>less <strong>the</strong>y form <strong>the</strong> core guiding principles<br />
to which states have committed <strong>the</strong>mselves as members <strong>of</strong> intergovernmental bodies through<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ratification or adoption <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se instruments.<br />
A<br />
The right to l<strong>and</strong><br />
In <strong>the</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Charter on Human <strong>and</strong> <strong>Peoples</strong>’ <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> 1986, <strong>the</strong> right to property is<br />
guaranteed. However, this right can be ‘encroached upon in <strong>the</strong> interest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> public need or<br />
in <strong>the</strong> General interest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> community <strong>and</strong> in accordance with <strong>the</strong> provisions <strong>of</strong><br />
appropriate laws’. 26 This qualification to <strong>the</strong> property right created by <strong>the</strong> Charter has been<br />
taken to provide justification for evictions <strong>and</strong> displacements <strong>of</strong> indigenous peoples. The<br />
qualification should be read <strong>and</strong> interpreted, however, alongside o<strong>the</strong>r provisions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Africa</strong>n Charter <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Working Group on Indigenous<br />
<strong>Peoples</strong>/Communities <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Commission.<br />
The Working Group on Indigenous <strong>Peoples</strong>/Communities is a special mechanism <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Africa</strong>n Commission on Human <strong>and</strong> <strong>Peoples</strong>’ <strong>Rights</strong>, <strong>the</strong> human rights organ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> regional<br />
inter-governmental <strong>Africa</strong>n Union. It was established in 2001, <strong>and</strong> part <strong>of</strong> its role is to<br />
research <strong>the</strong> human rights situation <strong>of</strong> indigenous peoples in <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>and</strong> to formulate<br />
recommendations to prevent <strong>and</strong> provide remedy for violations <strong>of</strong> indigenous peoples’ human<br />
rights. In an extensive report adopted in 2003, <strong>the</strong> working group explained that:<br />
25 <strong>Africa</strong>n Charter, Article 60.<br />
26<br />
Ibid., Article 14.<br />
Couillard & Gilbert 35<br />
March 2009