Norwegian statement by Ambassador Steffen Kongstad
Thank you Mr. President,
We highly appreciate the important and valuable work of the Special Rapporteur and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Special Rapporteur’s report includes an important thematic focus on indigenous women and girls. It is with deep concern that we note the Special Rapporteur’s conclusion that Indigenous women and girls experience complex, multidimensional and mutually reinforcing human rights violations.
We also welcome the recommendation to improve access by indigenous peoples to education, with measures targeted towards understanding and overcoming the specific barriers faced by girls. Moreover, the recommendation to ensure protection of the activities of all female human rights defenders is one that Norway endorses fully. It is of particular importance to call for the implementation of this recommendation. We would be interested in hearing the SR’s views on ways to implement this recommendation on the ground, in the context of Indigenous Women Human Rights Defenders.
We also welcome the report and study by EMRIP, and continue to engage actively with this important mechanism. We have taken note of the proposals in relation to EMRIP reform and Indigenous Peoples Participation in particular, and we are working with the main sponsors to move this agenda forward. While welcoming their thematic report on promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples with respect to their cultural heritage, we would like to hear more about EMRIP’s future thematic focus, including on Human Rights Defenders, which was one of the possible focus areas identified in their report.
Thank you