Presentation of the Block of Indigenous Organizations of Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico on Extractive Industries


Thank you Madame President. We are very happy to be able to address you today and we are sincerely committed to the issue before us.

We, the Indigenous organizations that support this statement, want to express our adhesion to the Manila Declaration, the result of the International Meeting on Indigenous Peoples and Extractive Industries.



Throughout the world, indigenous peoples are threatened by the irrational exploitation and exploration of mining and hydrocarbon extraction.



The Mapuche Confederation of Neuquén - Argentina, the Casanar Indigenous Regional Organization (ORIC), Colombia, and the organization of the Mixe Pueblo of Mexico bring before you our grave concerns about the policies carried out by the states within which we are located. By granting concessions in such an arbitrary way and without consulting Indigenous peoples, they allow the unscrupulous advances of oil and mining companies that plunder our lands.

In Neuquen, Argentina, the Mapuche People’s lives are threatened by the many concessions awarded and the areas of oil already under exploitation by oil companies of American and Spanish origin, as well as Mega-mining at the hands of Chinese investors.
In el Casanar, in Colombia, indigenous people are threatened by infrastructure projects, mining and resource extraction that threaten both their lives and territories.


Therefore, we request the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to take into account the following proposed recommendations:

This addresses the urgent need for a real recognition of the philosophical and cultural rights of indigenous peoples affected by extractive projects.


Due to the gravity of this situation we wish to make the following recommendations:

• That the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues recommend to the States, given its responsibility for preserving the integrity of resources and the application of the rights of Indigenous peoples, that in impact studies prior to authorization of any project from extractive industries they must satisfy the following: (a) impact studies must consider the social, cultural, economic and environmental concerns in their entirety, (b) procedures: impact studies should be conducted by the Indigenous peoples concerned and should have the resources and time needed for them to develop these, (c) legal framework: that the development of impact studies take into account the legal framework of international law on human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples, particularly the Declaration of UN on the rights of indigenous peoples.

• That the FPCI recommend that States should develop mechanisms and procedures to ensure adequate processes for consultation and prior informed consent, with the full participation of Indigenous peoples before making any decision relating to the exploitation of mineral resources and oil that may directly or indirectly affect Indigenous peoples or their territories.

• That the FPCI request the Special Representative of UN Secretary-General on the issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations, John Ruggie — who is active with indigenous communities through workshops that address indigenous peoples and extractive industries and together with other procedures, organizations and UN agencies — to promote legislation in the home countries of transnational corporations to allow the application of extraterritorial jurisdiction in relation to their activities.

• That the FPCI urge States to recognize cultural impact as a new category of impact, which must be considered before any extractive project that affects indigenous peoples, using as a basis the Akwé: Kon directives of the Convention on Biological Diversity.


• That the FPCI request the World Bank urgently put an end to the financing, promotion and support of projects related to fossil fuels and large-scale mining, by eliminating risk funds.

• That the FPCI recommend to the World Health Organization, with the full participation of Indigenous peoples, that they carry out a study on the health impact of cyanide and heavy metals that affects indigenous people due to the operations the extractive industries.

• That the FPCI urge States to legislate measures that prohibit the exploitation of massive open pit mining, because of its polluting effects and because it endangers all life.

Thank you, Madame President