sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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until six months of age should also promoted, which is another initiative designed to protect babies from
environmental pollution, given the huge nutritional and emotional benefits. This could be promoted by
extending current maternity and paternity leave (Rico and Pautassi, <strong>20</strong>11).
3. Indigenous peoples and local communities
Principle 22 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development states that indigenous peoples and
their communities and other local communities have a vital role in environmental management and
<strong>development</strong> because of their knowledge and traditional practices. It calls upon States to recognize and
support their identity, culture and interests and enable their effective participation in the achievement of
<strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>.
In the past two decades, the region has made visible progress. In constitutions and in legislation
on access to land and other matters, there is now greater recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples
and their communities and other local communities, as well as an appreciation of the rich culture of
indigenous peoples. Programmes of democratically elected Governments have incorporated indigenous
worldviews, including the ancestral concept of “good life” (buen vivir) (ECLAC/UNFPA, <strong>20</strong>09).
Some global agreements have set precedents on the course to be followed and have been signed
by most countries in the region. Two key instruments are Convention 169 of the International Labour
Organization (ILO) 12 and the more recent United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in <strong>20</strong>07 (ECLAC/UNFPA, <strong>20</strong>09). Of the
22 countries that have ratified ILO Convention 169, 15 are in Latin America and the Caribbean (see
box III.5). In a region with such a large indigenous population, this is an important area of work. In the
Plurinational State of Bolivia, the indigenous population forms 62% of the total population; in Guatemala,
41%; and in Panama, 10%. 13 Box III.5
RATIFICATION OF CONVENTION 169 OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION:
CASE OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA
The Plurinational State of Bolivia ratified ILO Convention No. 169 in 1991; in 1994 the Constitution recognized the
country’s “multi-ethnic and multicultural” nature. The constitutional reforms of <strong>20</strong>04 recognized indigenous
peoples’ right to present candidates directly, recognizing them as political and social actors in their own right. Other
national regulations recognize indigenous rights to their native communal lands, to a share of natural resource
profits, and, among others, the right to consultation. The Plurinational State of Bolivia also made the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples binding as national law, and the <strong>20</strong>06–<strong>20</strong>07 constitutional process
included a high level of indigenous participation.
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO) [online] http://www.ilo.org/indigenous/Activitiesbyregion/LatinAmerica/
Bolivia/lang--en/index.htm.
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ILO Convention 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, which was adopted in
1989, is the first comprehensive international agreement to specify the rights of these peoples. It sets out the
obligations of States to recognize and respect the customs and institutions of indigenous peoples “where these
are not incompatible with fundamental rights defined by the national legal system and with internationally
recognized human rights”.
See the Socio-demographic Indicators System on Indigenous People and Populations in Latin America [online]
http://celade.cepal.org/redatam/PRYESP/SISPPI/.