Category Archives: Press releases

Tanzania: UN experts urge transparency and respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Ngorongoro

By | April 17, 2026
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GENEVA – UN experts* today called on the Government of Tanzania to immediately publish the findings of two presidential commissions examining land-use dynamics and their sustainability and relocation policies in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), amid escalating concerns over the rights and future of Indigenous Peoples. “We are alarmed that these reports, commissioned in February 2025,… Read More »

States that champion human rights defenders must consider candidacy for ECOSOC NGO Committee: UN experts

By | April 1, 2026
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GENEVA – Independent human rights experts* today urged Member States which are committed to prioritising human rights defenders and civil society space to stand in the upcoming elections for the Committee of Non-Governmental Organisations (the “NGO Committee”), a body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Ahead of the April elections, they issued the following statement:… Read More »

Ecuador: UN experts express alarm over attacks on indigenous leaders and activists

By | March 28, 2026
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GENEVA – UN experts* today expressed deep concern over credible reports of a rapid deterioration of civic space affecting Indigenous Peoples and human rights defenders in Ecuador. “Indigenous Peoples are essential to Ecuador’s stability and economic future. Authorities must urgently ensure accountability for any excessive use of force and acts of persecution, and create conditions… Read More »

Ocean governance must be grounded in international law: UN experts

By | February 24, 2026
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GENEVA – UN experts* today urged States to ensure that any new regulations governing the deep seabed, including a code on mining, are firmly grounded in international law, including international human rights law, and implement the precautionary principle. “The deep seabed is not an industrial frontier, it is one of the most fragile and least… Read More »

Mexico: UN experts demand truth and justice three years after enforced disappearance of rights defenders Ricardo Lagunes and Antonio Díaz

By | January 15, 2026
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GENEVA – On the third anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Ricardo Lagunes and Antonio Díaz, UN experts* demanded immediate answers about the fate and whereabouts of the two Mexican human rights defenders. “Mexican authorities must comply with the State’s international obligations, including by investigating the enforced disappearance, proactively searching for them, determining their fate… Read More »

Greenland: UN experts urge United States to respect international law and right to self-determination

By | January 14, 2026
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GENEVA – UN experts* today expressed grave concern about statements made by the President of the United States of America regarding Greenland, including suggestions that the territory should be placed under U.S. control and that force could be used to achieve such an outcome. “Assertions suggesting that a territory can be taken, controlled or ‘owned’ by… Read More »

UN experts commend Norway decision to postpone deep-sea mining licensing

By | December 15, 2025
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GENEVA – Norway’s decision to halt the issuance of any deep-sea mining licences until at least the end of 2029 and to withhold all public funds for such activities – a move endorsed by the Parliament – marks a major advance for ocean protection, environmental integrity, cultural identity and human rights, UN experts* said today. “The… Read More »

UN experts call for safeguarding Special Procedures system as ‘indispensable pillar’ for human rights protection

By | December 9, 2025
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GENEVA – Amid rising authoritarianism, deepening polarisation, growing intolerance, and mounting pressures on the multilateral system, Human Rights Day offers a vital moment to reaffirm our shared commitment to universal human rights, UN experts* said today. They issued a joint statement renewing their unwavering dedication to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and emphasising the… Read More »

UN experts condemn deadly attack on Guarani and Kaiowá Indigenous Peoples in Brazil

By | November 20, 2025
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GENEVA – UN experts today condemned a deadly attack against Guarani and Kaiowá Indigenous Peoples in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, while the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) of the UN Climate Change Convention is underway in Belém, Brazil. The violent attack was reportedly carried out by armed individuals linked to private security forces… Read More »

Indonesia must recognise Indigenous Peoples and consider them partners for national development: UN experts

By | November 4, 2025
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GENEVA – UN experts* today expressed grave concern about Indonesia’s persistent lack of recognition of Indigenous Peoples, and the systemic human rights violations they face. “We call on Indonesia to formally recognise Indigenous Peoples and be open to engaging them as vital partners in shaping an inclusive, sustainable and rights-based national development,” the experts said. “Giving recognition… Read More »

UN expert calls for stronger protections for Indigenous Peoples in Botswana

By | September 12, 2025
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GABORONE – Botswana must urgently address the continuing marginalisation of Indigenous Peoples, including the lack of constitutional recognition, forced relocation from ancestral lands and barriers to accessing justice, education and basic services, a UN expert said today, while acknowledging a marked and positive shift in government policy on the rights of the country’s indigenous communities.… Read More »

UN expert on Indigenous Peoples’ rights to visit Botswana

By | August 29, 2025
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GENEVA (29 August 2025) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K Barume, will conduct an official visit to Botswana from 1 to 12 September 2025. The expert will examine a diverse range of issues affecting Indigenous Peoples, including the right to lands, territories and resources, administration of justice, equality… Read More »

UNDRIP as an Instrument of Reconciliation: Dialogues with Indigenous Peoples in Indonesia

By | July 13, 2025
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Being Invited as Special Rapporteur to attend human rights dialogues by Indigenous Peoples in Papua, Poco Leok, and Bogor, in Indonesia (3 to 11 July, 2025) revealed the need to engage Governments more on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as an instrument devised to reconcile States with their Indigenous… Read More »

Brazil must abandon “Marco Temporal” doctrine once and for all, says UN expert

By | June 11, 2025
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GENEVA – A UN expert today expressed grave concern about Brazil’s continued use of the controversial “Marco Temporal” legal interpretation to revoke the legal foundation for indigenous land demarcation and annul the demarcation of indigenous territories in Santa Catarina. “This legislative move enforces the discredited ‘Marco Temporal’ doctrine, which restricts Indigenous land rights to territories… Read More »

Kenya: UN expert urges immediate halt to land demarcation violating Ogiek rights and African court judgments

By | June 5, 2025
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GENEVA – A UN expert* today expressed grave concern over the ongoing land demarcation by the Government of Kenya in the Eastern Mau Complex, which threatens ancestral lands of the Ogiek Peoples and contravenes binding judgments of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR). “These actions risk causing irreparable harm to the Ogiek’s… Read More »