ADVOCACY UPDATES

Japan: Joint Report Highlights Violations Against Indigenous Peoples (JANUARY)

Cultural Survival’s Advocacy Program launches international campaigns in support of grassroots Indigenous movements as they put pressure on governments and corporations to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of their communities.

Global: Indigenous Rights Are Lowest Scoring Category in Automakers’ Supply Chains (MARCH)

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Cultural Survival collaborated on a stakeholder report for Japan’s Universal Periodic Review, held on January 31, 2023. The report concludes that Japan commits several human rights violations in respect to Indigenous Peoples. Whereas Japan has recognized the Ainu as Indigenous Peoples, the Ryukyuan/Okinawan Peoples are yet to be recognized, despite their self-determination claims as per the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and unique ethnicity, history, culture, and traditions. Lack of recognition perpetuates the endangerment of Ryukyu languages and history. The report also focuses on violations on rights to traditional lands and territories of the Ryukyu/Okinawa Peoples, predominantly land controlled by the U.S. for military purposes. The UN Declaration stipulates the importance of prohibiting military activities on Indigenous territories; however, Japan violates this by promoting militarization on the land. Despite the cultural significance of salmon fishing for the Ainu Peoples, Japanese law permits criminal prosecution for fishing on traditional fishing grounds.

Argentina: Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters

Presented at COP2 Escazú (APRIL)

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The second Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 19–21, 2023. The Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation, and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, better known as the Escazú Agreement, is the first regional environmental treaty that is binding. Cultural Survival was present to monitor how Indigenous Peoples’ rights are being incorporated. As a result of this process, the draft annotated index of the Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders on Environmental Matters was presented. This draft will be open for public consultation until July 6, 2023. Some demands from Indigenous Peoples during this COP2 were that the Working Group on Human Rights Defenders on Environmental Matters include Indigenous representation; consultations on the Action Plan should not only be done online; if necessary extend the consultation on the draft to allow for in-person consultations with Indigenous Peoples; ensure that the public consultation on the draft Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders is translated into Indigenous languages; include Indigenous Peoples' selfprotection mechanisms in the Action Plan.

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A coalition of climate, environmental, and human rights organizations, including Cultural Survival, launched the “Lead the Charge” campaign in March. The campaign urges automakers to transform their electric vehicle supply chains to be equitable, sustainable, and fossil fuel-free, and to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights while recognizing the impact that their supply chains have on the climate and the environment. Indigenous rights were in the lowest-scoring category in the Industry Leaderboard analysis. As of yet, no manufacturer has implemented concrete mechanisms and procedures on how to realize commitments to Indigenous Peoples’ rights in practice throughout supply chains. The analysis makes it clear that without direct reference to Free, Prior and Informed Consent as per the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in automakers’ Supplier Code of Conduct, automakers are unable to conduct appropriate risk assessments regarding Indigenous rights.

Global: SIRGE Coalition Urges Action to Secure Indigenous Rights in Green Economy (APRIL)

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At the 22nd Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, First Peoples Worldwide, Cultural Survival, Batani Foundation, Earthworks, and Society for Threatened Peoples, together as the Securing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in the Green Economy Coalition (SIRGE) submitted a joint intervention. “Limiting States’ carbon emissions brings growing dependence on battery technology, increasing the demand for transition minerals such as nickel, lithium, zinc, and copper. If electric vehicles replaced all currently existing vehicles, mineral requirements for this technology would quadruple by 2040. Fifty-four percent of the 5,097 transition mineral projects worldwide are located on or near Indigenous territories. The high demand for these minerals has resulted in violations of Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights,” the intervention states. The Coalition urges stopping violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights by providing the resources necessary to develop and implement Indigenous Peoples’ own Free, Prior and Informed Consent protocols; conducting a study on the human health effects of transition mineral extraction occurring on`Indigenous Peoples’ traditional lands and territories; strengthening mechanisms for reporting and addressing violations of Indigenous rights; and securing Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their lands, waters, and resources.