Joint Nordic-Baltic Statement at the interactive dialogue on the rights of Indigenous Peoples

Check Against Delivery

Mr. Chair,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries: Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and my own, Denmark together with Greenland.

We reaffirm our full support for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and welcome the report on Tourism and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The report elaborately points out negative and positive impacts of tourism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Tourism is an essential driver of development for many countries and may lead to economic, social, and cultural growth. However, tourism projects are all too often designed and implemented without respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights to lands, territories, and traditional resources, as well as the principle of free, prior, and informed consent. The lack of participation and ownership of Indigenous Peoples in tourism operations taking place on their lands and in their communities often lead to, inter alia, a commodification of their cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, pollution and destruction of their environment, and the trafficking of women and girls. Moreover, it is extremely concerning that woman and girls are among the most marginalised in the tourism industry.

Fortunately, the report of the Special Rapporteur highlights examples of Indigenous-led tourism ventures and best practices undertaken by States and international organisations to protect the Indigenous Peoples’ rights in this context. Moreover, when implemented with respect for the human rights of Indigenous Peoples and through their own participation and entrepreneurship, ecotourism and ethnocultural tourism projects can lead to socio-economic and cultural benefits for Indigenous Peoples.

Development of sustainable tourism projects cannot be set apart from the safeguarding of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the global need to address our current biodiversity and climate crises. We would like to recall that Indigenous Peoples safeguard 80 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity.  

Mr. Special Rapporteur, what do you see as the most urgent and pertinent actions to be taken to ensure that tourism on Indigenous Peoples’ lands and communities truly benefit them and contribute to the integrity of their livelihoods and cultures as well as self-determined development?

Thank you.