| August 9, 2016 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples TREATY OF IOUANALAO |
Pursuant to Article VII (1:) of the TREATY OF IOUANALAO for Economic, Social and Cultural Integration among the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala, it is an honour to publish a Statement for and on behalf of 22 Contracting National Indigenous Peoples, Regional and International Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations and Institutions in commemoration of the 2016 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Castries, IOUANALAO aka Saint Lucia Statement in commemoration of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – 09 August 2016 Considering the right of Indigenous Peoples to education that reflects their dignity, diversity of cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations, as specified in ILO Convention 169, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, among several other relevant Instruments; the Secretariat of the TREATY OF IOUANALAO for Economic, Social and Cultural Integration among the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala recalls the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly of 22 November 2014 regarding the Outcome Document of the High Level Plenary Meeting known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples; where Member States ‘commit themselves to ensuring equal access to high-quality education that recognizes the diversity of the cultures of Indigenous Peoples…;‘ – OP11 and supplemented by OP15, 22, 26 (A/RES/69/2). The Secretariat of the TREATY OF IOUANALAO for Economic, Social and Cultural Integration among the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala also recognizes Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all; and in particular Target 4.5, that calls for the elimination of gender disparities in education to ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and children in vulnerable situations, by 2030. The Secretariat of the TREATY OF IOUANALAO for Economic, Social and Cultural Integration among the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala recalls Advice No. 1 of 2009 of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the rights of Indigenous Peoples to Education; addressing the rights of Indigenous Peoples to education, reaffirming education as an universal human right, and ‘an empowerment right with implications for individual and collective development, the realization of the right to self-determination, and the use of lands, territories and natural resources; …. underlining that Indigenous Peoples have the right to provide and receive education through their traditional methods, as well as the right to integrate their own perspectives, values and languages.’ Considering a World Bank Project Literacy status report that there are approximately 758 million adults 15 years and older who still cannot read or write a simple sentence, the Secretariat of the TREATY OF IOUANALAO for Economic, Social and Cultural Integration among the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala maintains that eeducational programmes and services for Indigenous Peoples must be developed and implemented in consultation and cooperation with them; encouraging educational autonomy, and to maintain and develop their own education systems and institutions in their indigenous languages by supporting the development of teaching methods and literacy materials in indigenous languages. The Secretariat of TREATY OF IOUANALAO for Economic, Social and Cultural Integration among the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala reiterates that its institutional projects are designed to promote understanding and respect for traditional methods of teaching and learning, quality education, intercultural education and human rights education to all Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala, ‘aimed at integrating the educational systems of the family of Indigenous Peoples of the Association of Caribbean States, in particular. Signed Albert DeTERVILLE Executive Chairperson |