Significance of collective rights

3. Significance of collective rights

Indigenous peoples often organize their societies as a group. The Expert Mechanism has explained the collective dimension to indigenous peoples’ way of life:

Given the collective character inherent in indigenous cultures, individual rights are not always adequate to give full expression to indigenous peoples’ rights. The rights contained in the Declaration seek to protect, in addition to individual rights, the collective rights of indigenous peoples because recognition of such rights is necessary to ensure the continuing existence, development and well-being of indigenous peoples as distinct peoples. Past experiences have shown that unless the collective rights of indigenous peoples are respected, there is a risk that such cultures may disappear through forced assimilation into the dominant society.

The notion that indigenous peoples can hold rights, such as the right to own property, as a collective is consistent with the principle of non-discrimination and the right to culture. For instance, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has required information from a State party regarding the protection of the collective rights of indigenous peoples related to their traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, including ancestral lands, as an integral part of their cultural identity.⁸⁰ The Inter-American Court and Commission on Human Rights have in a number of cases confirmed that indigenous peoples hold collective property rights to their lands and resources.

For example, in the case of the Mayagna (Sumo) Awas Tingni vs Nicaragua, the Court held that:

… among indigenous peoples there is a communitarian tradition regarding a communal form of collective property of the land, in the sense that ownership of the land is not centered on an individual but rather on the group and its community. Indigenous groups, by the fact of their very existence, have the right to live freely in their own territory; the close ties of indigenous people with the land must be recognized and understood as the fundamental basis of their cultures, their spiritual life, their integrity, and their economic survival.⁸¹

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has concurred with this conclusion and recognized the collective rights to lands in the Endorois case.⁸²

Both the United Nations treaty bodies and the Expert Mechanism have recognized the need to facilitate the collective rights of indigenous peoples. For example, the collective element in indigenous cultures is reflected in their traditional work ethic, communal values and societal structures based on the family unit. These values are, for example, expressed in indigenous communities through mechanisms such as councils of elders, which are traditionally given authority to address issues in the community.

The Expert Mechanism has noted that the imposition of governmental and other administrative bodies has undermined traditional mechanisms such as these that give expression to the underlying collective aspect of indigenous cultures.⁸³ Indeed, governmental requirements that indigenous peoples organize themselves in ways that are acceptable to Governments may not be consistent with indigenous forms of organization and can undermine their cultures.

Further, the Declaration seeks to protect and preserve indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge, including cultural expressions, as well as genetic resources. Many current legal frameworks protect the intellectual property of individuals only, rather than intellectual property interests of a community or group of people, thus failing to adequately protect the collective rights of indigenous peoples.⁸⁴ The Expert Mechanism has stressed the need for international legal mechanisms to address such gaps and to give full protection to the rights of the indigenous peoples under the Declaration.⁸⁵

Practical issues can arise as to who can represent the beneficiaries of collective rights. This can be especially important when attempting to fulfil obligations related to the acquisition of free, prior and informed consent, fair and equitable benefit-sharing and attempting to use legal remedies. The Expert Mechanism has emphasized that, where it is unclear who the legitimate representatives are, indigenous communities should be permitted to resolve such questions in accordance with their customs, culture and decision-making institutions.⁸⁶

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples has identified legal mechanisms that provide for comprehensive consultation with indigenous peoples on all matters that directly affect their interests, with a duty to provide full information at all stages of the decision-making process, as being best practices that can help secure the collective rights of indigenous peoples.⁸⁷ Another best practice approach highlighted by the Special Rapporteur is legal recognition of indigenous villages as administrative units.⁸⁸

Key points: Chapter 2 The elimination of formal discrimination may require that a State’s constitution, legislation and/or policies do not discriminate against indigenous peoples. The elimination of de facto discrimination may require States to implement laws and policies that facilitate substantive equality for indigenous peoples in the enjoyment of their rights and to adopt special measures. The Expert Mechanism has commended national-level programmes which, in addition to seeking to redress imbalances between non-indigenous and indigenous peoples, specifically seek to ensure equality between indigenous men and women. The Declaration does not specifically define “culture”. The Expert Mechanism has noted that it is not necessary, and may not even be appropriate, to define culture. A broad view of indigenous cultures should be adopted. Indigenous peoples often organize their societies as a group, which is why recognition of collective rights is essential for indigenous peoples.