International Labor Organization
Rights-based approach to indigenous peoples’ development in Cambodia (ITP)
Update information June-September 2006
The ILO and indigenous and tribal peoples
The ILO has been working with indigenous peoples since the 1920s, aiming to promote social justice, and to improve their living and working conditions. The ILO’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) is internationally recognized as the foremost instrument on the subject that is in force today. This Convention is a revision of an earlier Convention: The Indigenous and Tribal Populations Convention, 1957 (No. 107). Convention No. 169 is a comprehensive instrument covering a range of issues pertaining to indigenous and tribal peoples, including land rights, access to natural resources, health, education, vocational training, conditions of employment and contacts across borders. The fundamental concepts of Convention No. 169 are consultation and participation, and respect for the cultures and traditional of indigenous and tribal peoples. These peoples have the right to be consulted, and to participate in policy, legislative, administrative and development processes affecting them, and to decide their own priorities for the process of development as it affects them. However, in many cases, these fundamental rights are not respected and indigenous peoples around the world are victims of severe human rights abuses as well as generalized social and political marginalisation. The particularly vulnerable situation of indigenous women and children has been the focus of recent international discussions under the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. It is well known that indigenous women’s access to political participation is severely limited and that they, along with the indigenous children. have very little access to fundamental services such as health care and education. Among the specific concerns of the ILO is the trafficking of indigenous women and the situation related to indigenous child labour. The project will integrate the concern for indigenous women and children as a cross-cutting issue in the components, in close cooperation with other ILO initiatives in these fields.
B- Objectives
Development Objective
To contribute towards the development of national legislation and policies that integrate the rights, needs and priorities of indigenous and tribal peoples in Cambodia, and to build capacity to implement them.
Immediate objectives
1. Improvement of the legislative and policy environment concerning indigenous and tribal peoples in Cambodia and facilitation of the effective implementation of such policies and legislation.
2. Strengthening of indigenous and tribal peoples’ own representative organizations to play a more active role in decision-making and development processes.
C- Progress June-September 2006
1. National Level
Collaboration with Department of Local Administration (DoLA)/Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Ministry of Rural Development (MRD)- Department of Ethnic Minority Development (DEMD) to provide support for the process of by-law development to contribute to the implementation of the 2001 Land Law of Cambodia on communal land titling. IN other words, the development of by-laws to enable indigenouscommunities to obtainlegal entity status.
The by-laws of La In, and La Eun Kren villages in Ratanakiri were both submitted to the Ministry of Interior during the second week of September, following the relevant administrative processes from Commune Council through district and provincial offices. Both communities look forward to receiving the official recognition of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior.
Also through this collaboration, Andongkraleung community in Mondulkiri province is continuing the process of drafting, reviewing, and consultating with indigenous peoples so that they can develop a by-law. The Governor and Provincial Development Committee has agreed to finalize the by-law by the end of October 2006. Finalization includes consultation between the authorities and the IP committee, reviewing the by-law, a meeting of the General Assembly of the community, and an administrative process of submission at commune councils and district and provincial offices.
These three by-laws, according to the information from the National Task Force on Collective Land Registration, will be the sources for developing the policy on collective land registration. According to DoLA and MLMUPC the general policy of development for indigenous peoples coordinated by MRD will be approved by the government by the end of 2006. Two main policies concerning indigenous peoples in Cambodia have been placed on the agenda for approval by the government. However this information needs confirmation.
2. Provincial and local levels
The community organizing activity in the 3 target provinces are ongoing, working towards requesting status as legal entities.
1- Ratanakiri: Three new indigenous communities are being included in the community organizing approach implemented by CFI, the provincial partner of ILO-ITP.
2- Mondulkiri: ILO-ITP works through the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Keo Seima district (O Am and O Ronaa villages). PLUP is an approach for the community organizing activities in this area. The traditional committee of O Am of 5 members has been established. Extension to the villagers, demarcation and mapping are ongoing.
3- Preah Vihear: ILO-ITP works through the Buddhism for a Progressive Society (BPS) in two communes, Peuk commune, and Pra Mei. The 5-member traditional committee has been established in Peuk commune, and in Pra Mei commune, the committee has been recognized by the commune council order (deika). The committee has conducted extension to the villagers. Meeting with the 2 community representative in Preah Vihear they expressed their demands for collective land title rather than private one, most of them have put thumbprint to be the community members for collective land title.
3. Internship
As part of its capacity-building component, the project has recently recruited a new indigenous intern in Phnom Penh, for a period of 6 months. Two further internships for indigenous persons are ongoing in Ratanakiri, until the end of this year.
4. Publications
- Project Launch report of 05-06 May 2005
- Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Poverty Reduction Strategies in Cambodia
(PRSP)
- A study on Achieving the Millennium Development Goals In Two Indigenous Communities in Cambodia to be published later.
- ILO Convention No. 169 in Khmer.
- The training material on indigenous affairs is on going for adaptation, simplification and review for publication.
5. Planned activities to the end of 2006
- Training material development
- A training for provincial government officials on IP issues
- A training for local government officials on IP issues
- In collaboration with NGO Forum training for Indigenous Rights Active Members will be trained on different subjects
- By-law development for Andong kraleung community, Mondulkiri province for pilot collective land title.
- A workshop to disseminate the process of by-law development to donors, government and UN agencies, NGOs working on IP affairs, Indigenous Rights Active Members (IRAM), Indigenous Youth Association (IYA) and indigenous peoples.
For further information on any of the details provided in this news bulletin, or copies of the publications highlighted above, please contact:
Mr. Sek Sophorn, National Project Coordinator
Tel.: 023 220 817
E-mail: sophorns@ilo.org
S
ome publications are also available at www.ilo.org/indigenous
We will also be happy to receive feedback on this bulletin, so it can be improved in the future for the benefit of our partners.
-----------
Print
Email