Rodrigo Orcotorio
Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (DAR)
(rorcotorio@dar.org.pe)
The situation of indigenous peoples as a result of the new coronavirus has drastically changed their way of life, leading them to isolate themselves from any type of interference that endangers their integrity and health. However, their reality is different due, to a greater extent, to the weaknesses of public policies to meet their needs, such as the lack of access to public services (electricity, health, etc.). This has led them to forge alliances to address the health emergency in their territories.
International actors, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will become the main agents for the financing of projects in search of the reconstruction of Latin America in a post-pandemic scenario where the Amazonian indigenous peoples will have great relevance to guarantee the respect of their territories and rights. The IDB recently completed its consultation process on the draft safeguards, which it plans to approve in September. Civil society and indigenous peoples have identified deficiencies in the recognition of collective rights, which is why it is necessary for the bank to be able to integrate the essential content of international human rights standards into its safeguards. Only in this way could we see a true commitment to face the advance of the pandemic in indigenous peoples and stop the increase in deaths, harassment, and criminalization of the work they carry out in the defense of their territories.
An example is the inclusion of the principles of the Escazú Agreement in the new IDB Environmental and Social Policy Framework. In this way, it would be promoted that the States effectively implement the rights of access to information, participation, and justice in the projects financed by the bank, in addition to their ratification.
Given this, what can the Escazú Agreement offer in the current context? In addition to the rights already mentioned, it will strengthen indigenous peoples so that they participate in decision-making on investment projects and are protected with adequate mechanisms when their human rights are violated.
In this sense, indigenous participation must be ensured in the implementation of the new IDB safeguards, with the effective recognition of their rights and their work. All of this would mean a true recognition to those most affected by the pandemic.