IPRB: Context & Dynamics

Excerpt of closing address by Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Conference "Speaking Out: Indigenous Views of Development and the Implementation of the EU Policy on Indigenous Peoples": "...The Commission believes that securing access to land and natural resources is crucial for Indigenous Peoples. The Commission is supporting land reform processes throughout Africa and Latin America with the aim of providing legal frameworks that respect existing customary rights over land. However, in the case of indigenous peoples, the question of land rights goes beyond the traditional debate between property rights and customary tenure as both these concepts inadequately reflect the complex link between indigenous communities and the territory in which they have lived on for centuries. Indeed the rights of indigenous people to gain authority on and autonomy in the management of their territory have been often overshadowed in land reform processes. It is time to reverse this tendency and support Governments in devising land tenure laws that adequately take into account the special relationship of these communities with their land. This is a precondition for successful land reform. Participation in project design, implementation and monitoring is clearly important for the responsiveness of donor-funded projects to the needs of indigenous people. However, the revision of the legal framework is often beyond the scope of projects. In this event, the EC, through its policy dialogue with Governments, will be further promoting the development of appropriate frameworks that recognise such rights while supporting indigenous peoples' capacity to articulate their needs and expectations in negotiations with Governments, both at the macro level and at project level..."