PH Highlight Developments in IP Rights Protection and Promotion Before UN

The Philippines recently highlighted its progress in the protection and promotion of the rights of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) during a constructive dialogue with the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Chairperson Allen Capuyan led the Philippine delegation who highlighted the country’s “significant” development in implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

During the meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland on April 19 and 20, the delegation underscored the enactment of 215 laws, including the landmark Bangsamoro Organic Law, as well as the issuance of Certificates of Ancestral Domains Titles and Certificates of Ancestral Land Titles.

Moreover, the government also conducts awareness programs on cultural practices and ancestral domains, and provides expanded access to health services and educational assistance.

The delegation also emphasized the government’s full enforcement of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent process, particularly in development projects involving mining and energy infrastructure. To further improve the provision of services to indigenous cultural communities, the government works with the World Bank to collect comprehensive data on IPs through a single digital portal.

Moreover, the Philippine delegation reiterated the government’s commitment to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its Protocol, as well as the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The government recently issued an administrative regulation to establish a fair, efficient, and non-adversarial procedure for the protection and assistance of refugees and stateless persons.

Despite these accomplishments, Capuyan acknowledged that more needs to be done by the government amid various challenges, including the weaponization of human rights by leftist extremists who misrepresent IPs in the UN to advance their violent agenda.

“The Philippine Government is in full throttle in operationalizing ICERD,” Capuyan said. “We unify our people, we capacitate our people, and we mobilize our people for a better future with no one left behind.” (GFB)