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The Project to Promote ILO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (the PRO 169) began in 1996, and is financed primarily by Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA).
Most of the world's estimated 350 million indigenous people are marginalized in almost every aspect of daily life. With globalization, increasing population pressure on their traditional lands, and the increasing pressure on natural resources, they are faced with increasing poverty, ill health, and discrimination. In most regions, these peoples are often the subject of projects directed to the poorest of the poor, but not necessarily in their capacity as indigenous and tribal peoples.
Indigenous and tribal peoples are of course one of the subjects of the ILO`s strong supervisory system, where much attention is paid to the subject, in particular during the ILO's regular work in monitoring the application of its conventions. When taking into consideration that there are presently 36 countries that have ratified Convention Nos. 107 and 169 (19 and 17 respectively), this does amount to a significant amount of time and resources from the regular budget.
The PRO 169 began following an approach by DANIDA to the ILO. It was also, in part, a response to the increasing number of requests from indigenous and tribal peoples themselves for more information on ILO Convention No. 169. It is based on the main objectives on ILO Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, 1989. The Project emphasises the basic concepts of consultation and participation, contained within the Convention, as its starting point in the initiation of activities concerning indigenous and tribal peoples. It also began as the ILO`s contribution to the UN International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 to 2004).
The Project focuses primarily on Africa and Asia. It was decided that the project should focus on these regions, as many of the ratifications of Convention No. 169 had taken place in Central and Latin America. Due to this, the ILO was already implementing a number of activities concerning the supervision of ILO standards and technical assistance projects in this region. In Asia and Africa, however, no ratifications of Convention No. 169 had yet taken place, and it was felt that there was a much greater need here to develop a dialogue on the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, where the debate was not yet as advanced as it was in the Americas.
Since 1996, the Project has initiated activities in countries throughout Africa and Asia. During this time, the Project has aroused interest among the ILO's constituents as well as indigenous and tribal peoples themselves, in these regions and elsewhere.
The Project co-operates with governments, employers' and workers' organizations, NGOs and indigenous and tribal peoples` organizations to carry out its objectives. The main task of the Project is to enhance dialogue between governments and indigenous and tribal peoples, thus increasing the capacity of these peoples to participate in, and take responsibility for, development and policy processes that affect them directly.
Since its inception, the Project has carried out a number of successful activities in collaboration with governments, NGOs, and indigenous and tribal peoples' organizations at local, national, regional and inter-regional levels. Technical assistance and policy advice are given to governments on the application and ratification of Convention No. 169, and Convention No. 107 where applicable (e.g. in India), and more direct assistance is provided directly to indigenous and tribal peoples. These peoples have been informed about their rights to be involved in the processes that concern them. Their active involvement is paramount in the implementation of successful project activities.
As stated in the Project Document, the PRO 169's objectives are as follows:
Development Objective
Development, adoption and implementation of policies which integrate the rights, as conveyed in the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), as well as the needs and priorities of indigenous and tribal peoples in the countries assisted by the project.
Immediate Objectives
1. The contents and principles of Convention No. 169 will be better known and used, in particular in the countries in which the Project works;
2. The capacity of indigenous and tribal peoples to participate in policy and development processes and programmes, and to defend their own interests, will be strengthened.
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Indigenous People in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh |
Kuna workers in Panama |
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