The International Indigenous Peoples' Forum on Plastics (IIPFP), present at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC-5.2) at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, held an event with the INC Chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso calling on governments to uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples in all aspects of the treaty, as affirmed by the UN Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
The high level event, which took place only six days away from the end of the negotiations, commemorated the efforts of Haudenosaunee Chief Deskaheh Levi General and Māori leader Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana. They both made long journeys from their ancestral territories to Geneva to claim their rights as sovereign peoples, demanding a seat at the table to participate in global decision-making about their futures.
Today marks the 31st year since the UN recognised the International Day for the World's Indigenous Peoples, a day that marks the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held here in Geneva in 1982.
Carson Kiburo, (Endorois, Africa) says, “We stand at a crossroads. You can choose the path that repeats old mistakes, or you can choose justice. Our IIPFP today, carries the voices of over 476 million Indigenous Peoples from all over the world. We are not just participants in this fight. We are the strong grassroot contributors and partners in this. Let this be the treaty where you get it right. Let this be the moment where you chose the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples over the failures of the past.”
Despite Indigenous Peoples' record attendance at INC-5.2 an analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) reveals the disproportionate influence of polluting industries on these negotiations.
Samantha Jack (Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Yale First Nations, North America) from the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus states, “As Indigenous youth, we are inheriting the consequences of decisions made today, yet we continue to be pushed to the margins of global decision-making. Our land and our waterways are not commodities, they are our relatives. The plastics crisis is devastating our sacred relationships with the land, threatening our ways of life, and undermining our sovereignty and self-determination. From the extraction of fossil fuels to the dumpsites and microplastics that invade our territories and bodies, this crisis spans the full lifecycle of plastic. Decision-makers must uphold Indigenous Peoples' distinct rights as affirmed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ensure full and equitable participation supported by sustained funding, and recognize Indigenous Knowledge in its own right. As youth, we are not just the voices of tomorrow, we are the voices of now. You say this is a once-in-a-generation treaty. Then please treat it like one.”
Arctic – Sara Olvig, Chair of Inuit Circumpolar Council. “Plastic pollution affects Inuit and other Arctic Indigenous Peoples adversely. The Arctic is already disproportionately impacted by climate change, warming 3-4 times faster than other regions. Our region is a sink for pollutants causing health effects. Arctic species that are part of our traditional diets have been found with plastics in their stomachs, directly affecting our mental and physical health, food sovereignty and ways of life. We call on all states to ensure our rights as Indigenous Peoples, including our right of full, effective and meaningful participation as affirmed in the UN Declaration, in all
processes related to the development and implementation of this treaty.”
Asia – Prem Singh Tharu, Tharu. “Indigenous Peoples hold and practice the most resilient solution pathways to the plastic pollution crisis, including other environmental crises. The treaty must defend our rights and shape the future of our new generations guaranteeing the rights, knowledge and practices of Indigenous Peoples in this historical instrument, the world will greatly applaud and commend you all historically forever. The treaty is not just a treaty, but it is a roadmap for keeping the human and planet clean, healthy, and sustained in peace and harmony. Take this precious opportunity to prove that you have done the crucial job of making and keeping the human and planet alive, clean, healthy, and sustainable.”
Pacific – Heni Unwin, Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Rongomaiwahine. “We are here because we received the call, it washed up upon our shores, it invaded our food systems and it has colonized every part of our bodies and lives. Our ancestors also received a call to fight for our Indigenous rights, Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana was turned away at the league of nations 100 years ago in 1925. Our people have turned up and fought for our rights ever since to have a seat at the table. We will continue to fight because this planet, our planet, is worth it.”
Latin and Central America – Carlos Gaitan Rodriguez, Indigenous Peoples of Piapoco, Coordinator of the Territory and Environment at the Organización Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía Colombiana (OPIAC). “Our lands, bodies, territories, nature commons and health as Indigenous Peoples, are systematically affected by all types of plastics pollution. Many of these plastics carry toxic poison, pesticide conductors. Our communities become garbage deposits for food packaging, manufactured by large food corporations and agribusiness, that are threatening our food sovereignty.”
The IIPFP is comprised of representatives of Indigenous Peoples from the seven Indigenous socio-cultural regions recognised by the UN – 1) Africa; 2) the Arctic; 3) Asia; 4) Central and South America and the Caribbean; 5) Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia; 6) North America; and 7) the Pacific.