The Indigenous World 2023: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Indigenous Peoples
Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, Indigenous Peoples have been engaging in national, regional, and global processes related to the SDGs. The sustained engagement of Indigenous Peoples in these processes, through the coordination of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development (IPMG), ensures that Indigenous Peoples’ concerns and recommendations in relation to the implementation of the SDGs are taken into account.
The main objective of IPMG engagement in the high-level political forum (HLPF) is to promote the recognition, protection and realization of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, well-being, and dignity, and to enhance their contributions to sustainable development.
There remains an urgent need for initiatives and follow-up at national level, in order to ensure accountability from states in regard to their human rights obligations and commitments to leave no-one behind. Acknowledging this, IPMG works to ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ perspective and initiatives are included, and they can thereby advance their self-determined sustainable development. This report is focused on key global developments relevant to Indigenous Peoples and the SDGs, including the HLPF, which is the global review process of the SDGs that is held every July at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Summary of the 2022 HLPF
The achievements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are currently in peril with major challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and conflict. This includes the persistent marginalization of Indigenous Peoples brought about by development interventions being implemented in their territories without their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). The 2022 Global Sustainable Development Report highlights that a major challenge for many countries remains that of generating timely and disaggregated data.[1] As a result, it is difficult to track actual progress towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda. Of particular interest is the repeated call that data disaggregation by ethnicity remains a critical data gap in many countries. Lack of these indicators continue to have an impact on how the specific needs and priorities of Indigenous Peoples are integrated and addressed (or not) in national development processes.
In 2023, an SDG Summit will be held in September where Heads of State and Government will conduct a comprehensive review and stocktake of the SDGs and provide guidance on actions to be undertaken to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. The 2030 target to achieve the SDGs seems out of reach, and this was apparent in the UN Secretary General’s comments at the 2022 HLPF where he called to rescue the SDGs. Transformative actions that address historical injustices and the root causes of inequality are needed to concretely accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. Without this, the pledge of leaving no-one behind will remain nothing more than rhetoric.
COVID-19 and virtual participation
Meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in SDG-related processes was heavily affected by the pandemic. Participation by virtual means has remained challenging for many due to lack of access to reliable infrastructure or unstable electricity and internet access. This has had a particular impact on rural Indigenous communities and representatives.
For 2022, the IPMG was able to participate and coordinate Indigenous Peoples’ participation in the Africa[2] and Asia[3] regional SDG forums and global events. including the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Partnership Forum,[4] the Expert Group Meeting to prepare for the Thematic Review of SDG 15, and the 2022 HLPF.
2022 HLPF
The theme of the HLPF in 2022 was “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The SDGs in focus were:
- Goal 4: Quality Education for all
- Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Goal 14: Life Below Water
- Goal 15: Life on Land
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals
Of the 44 countries that presented their Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2022, there were 17 countries[5] with Indigenous Peoples. IPMG supported two Indigenous women representatives,[6] who were selected through a national process facilitated by the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGOS) VNR Task Group to deliver the civil society collaborative statement on behalf of the MGOS. The in-person participation of Indigenous representatives from VNR countries also provided them with an avenue for direct engagement with their government representatives. Some of these dialogues yielded positive commitments / responses in relation to concerns raised, such as recognition of the collective land rights of Indigenous Peoples in Suriname. Outcomes of these meetings included a call for follow-up dialogues to be conducted at the national level in order to ensure that commitments made by states are implemented.
The HLPF 2022 was attended by six Indigenous Peoples’ representatives from Cameroon, Suriname, Philippines, Mali, and the United States. All of the representatives came from countries reporting their VNR for 2022 except for the US. Eight[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13] statements were prepared by the IPMG and five of the eight statements prepared were delivered by Indigenous representatives during the proceedings.
The IPMG also organized and co-organized two side events – one on the impacts of COVID-19 recovery on Indigenous Peoples and the other on the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples on the VNR. Indigenous representatives also spoke in three side events, as well as the Unmute Civil Society Towards a Recovery for All - Civil Society Organization Day co-hosted by the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica and co-organized by the UN Foundation, Action for Sustainable Development, CIVICUS, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, and Forus.
Outcomes of the 2022 HLPF
In the Summary of the President of ECOSOC on the 2022 HLPF,[14] references to Indigenous Peoples were made in Goal 14 where “ocean actions need to be informed by ocean science and engage local communities, including Indigenous communities…”; the need for direct partnerships with Indigenous Peoples; the vital need for “a renewed people-centered approach and focus on leaving no-one behind and hearing all voices, especially of the most vulnerable groups, such as the poor, Indigenous Peoples, and the youth, while taking a human rights-based approach”; the critical importance of forests and the stewardship role and land tenure rights of Indigenous Peoples; and the need for legal protection to prevent expropriation of Indigenous knowledge.
In the Ministerial Declaration of the 2022 HLPF,[15] references to Indigenous Peoples were made particularly in Goal 4 on access to quality education; Goal 5 on the disproportionate impacts of development on Indigenous women and girls and their “role as guardians of natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystems and agents of change in responding to climate change, eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, enhancing sustainable agricultural and fisheries development, and ensuring food security and nutrition”; and, finally, in Goal 15 on the “vital role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who depend on ecosystems for their livelihoods and have a key role in their stewardship, and we recall protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”.
These references to Indigenous Peoples must, however, translate into clear actions on the ground. If the world is to achieve the SDGs, States must implement and abide by their human rights obligations.
Six years of SDG implementation: Dream Big, Speak Loud
Under a banner calling for the world to “Dream Big and Speak Loud”, the UN Secretary-General noted that the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is lagging behind and that, in fact, progress made in previous decades has been lost due to the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, and other global geopolitical factors. This was captured in UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks: “We must rise higher to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals – and stay true to our promise of a world of peace, dignity and prosperity on a healthy planet.”
However large the dreams and however loud the voices, implementation of the SDGs is clearly lagging behind, and decades of development progress have been lost. Not only was there a strong focus on the key obstacles preventing countries from making progress but, critically, there was recognition that countries were, in some cases, being pushed further behind in the realization of the SDGs. The 2022 Global Sustainable Development report[16] highlighted rising poverty and inequalities, climate change, as well as biodiversity loss.
Climate change is also a key concern highlighted throughout the report, along with the glaring lack of data disaggregation by countries and national statistics offices, which makes the tracking of actual progress in the SDGs difficult. As a recommendation, the report provided that:
Timely, high-quality and disaggregated data can help trigger more targeted responses, anticipate future needs, and hone the design of urgently needed actions. To emerge stronger from the crisis and prepare for unknown challenges ahead, funding statistical development must be a priority for national governments and the international community.[17]
For Indigenous Peoples, the data disaggregation by ethnicity is of critical importance to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are taken into account in State policies and programs. Data by Indigenous Peoples using the Indigenous Navigator[18] and other similar tools should be considered a source of data in relation to Indigenous Peoples and their sustainable development.
The situation of Indigenous Peoples since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has not improved but has instead worsened, especially during the pandemic when COVID-19 responses were used to quell protests by Indigenous Peoples against destructive projects and the States’ recovery measures repeatedly failed to include meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples.
While Indigenous Peoples bear the brunt of climate change, their territories, which they have sustainably managed for centuries, are continuously being subjected to development policies and projects that are resulting in their displacement, loss of livelihood, and loss of biodiversity in their lands and territories. Killings of Indigenous Peoples defending their lands and resources are increasing every year, as stated in the annual Global Witness reports.[19] Indigenous Peoples likewise continue to be subjected to threats, harassment and discrimination, and access to social services and culturally appropriate, mother tongue-based education is still wanting.
2023 HLPF
The 2023 HLPF will be held from 10-19 July 2023. The theme will be “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”. Further, the HLPF will support the mid-term review of the implementation of the SDGs in preparation for the 2023 mid-term summit to be convened in September 2023. Without prejudice to the integrated, indivisible, and interlinked nature of the SDGs, the HLPF in 2023 will also review Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the goals in depth.
Forty-one countries will carry out voluntary national reviews (VNRs).[20] Of these countries, 14 have Indigenous Peoples, and these are: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the European Union, Fiji, Guyana, Rwanda, Timor-Leste, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
The UN General Assembly will likewise be holding the SDG Summit in September 2023 to:
[C]arry out a comprehensive review of the state of the SDGs, respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the SDGs.
The Summit is an opportune time for States to align their policies and development measures in order to pursue sustainable development to ensure they leave no-one behind. Urgent transformational actions by States and other development actors must be based on a human-rights framework, address the root causes of inequality, and align with environment protection. Actions should likewise provide necessary mechanisms to dismantle systemic discrimination and racism and strengthen the accountability of States, including ensuring democratic space for citizens.
Indigenous Peoples must be legally recognized as rights-holders, including the full respect and protection of their collective rights, as well as access to justice and concrete actions to end their discrimination as affirmed by international human rights instruments. They must be able to meaningfully participate in decision-making at all levels. Respectful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples will enhance their roles and contributions to sustainable development. Further, political will and resources are urgently needed to undertake data disaggregation by ethnicity in the monitoring and reporting on the SDGs at all levels to make Indigenous Peoples visible and accounted for in SDG implementation.
Article prepared by David Nathaniel Berger, Advisor - IWGIA and the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group on the SDGs.
This article is part of the 37th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous person in Tanzania. This photo was taken by Geneviève Rose, and is the cover of the Indigenous World 2023 where this article is featured. Find the Indigenous World 2023 in full here.
Notes and references
[1] “The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022” July 2022. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/progress-report/
[2] Eighth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. https://www.uneca.org/events/technology%2C-climate-change-and-natural-resource-management/eighth-session-of-the-africa
[3] Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD). https://www.unescap.org/events/apfsd9
[4] ECOSOC Partnership Forum. https://sdgs.un.org/events/ecosoc-partnership-forum-2022
[5] Argentina, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Jordan, Mali, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tuvalu, Uruguay
[6] Mali - Mariam Walet Aboubacrine and for Equatorial Guinea - Cecilia Maho
[7] IPMG APRCEM HLPF Statement on SDG 17. 2022. https://iwgia.org/doclink/ipmg-aprcem-hplf-sdg-17-statement-eng-2022/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpcG1nLWFwcmNlbS1ocGxmLXNkZy0xNy1zdGF0ZW1lbnQtZW5nLTIwMjIiLCJpYXQiOjE2NzI2NjgzMzYsImV4cCI6MTY3Mjc1NDczNn0.VsYDI_xA36WDyeeOg7GCxi5HkoCHs7vaOT6sZR139PE
[8] IPMG HLPF Statement on SDG 4. 2022. https://iwgia.org/doclink/ipmg-session-5-sdg-4-and-interlinkages-with-other-sdgs-eng-2022/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpcG1nLXNlc3Npb24tNS1zZGctNC1hbmQtaW50ZXJsaW5rYWdlcy13aXRoLW90aGVyLXNkZ3MtZW5nLTIwMjIiLCJpYXQiOjE2NzI2NjgzMzYsImV4cCI6MTY3Mjc1NDczNn0.ZsbDW12IwVTMUjemfrYqe4SNk35Z4vkZ2TJJ25ixylI
[9] IPMG HLPF Statement on SDG 5. 2022. https://iwgia.org/doclink/ipmg-session-8-sdg-5-and-interlinkages-with-other-sdgs-eng-2022/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpcG1nLXNlc3Npb24tOC1zZGctNS1hbmQtaW50ZXJsaW5rYWdlcy13aXRoLW90aGVyLXNkZ3MtZW5nLTIwMjIiLCJpYXQiOjE2NzI2NjgzMzYsImV4cCI6MTY3Mjc1NDczNn0.iJarq3j9-QaOlIIx3T_RQuQkBd_jh1nHXAHSgZaXhcQ
[10] IPMG HLPF Statement on Acting at the Local Level. 2022. https://iwgia.org/doclink/ipmg-acting-at-local-level-eng-2022/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpcG1nLWFjdGluZy1hdC1sb2NhbC1sZXZlbC1lbmctMjAyMiIsImlhdCI6MTY3MjY2ODMzNiwiZXhwIjoxNjcyNzU0NzM2fQ.95lk9xV44zRjWi7QK18A2_gFLiC-yhLiJ98StHP5CyY
[11] IPMG HLPF Statement on Working Towards the 2023 SDG Summit. 2022 https://iwgia.org/doclink/ipmg-working-towards-the-2023-sdg-summit-eng-2022/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpcG1nLXdvcmtpbmctdG93YXJkcy10aGUtMjAyMy1zZGctc3VtbWl0LWVuZy0yMDIyIiwiaWF0IjoxNjcyNjY4MzM2LCJleHAiOjE2NzI3NTQ3MzZ9.NLPqepUSSwVHEmu6qZY_0NtVVGxB4Ted7Lc5_Vu5Mzc
[12] IPMG HLPF Statement on SDG 14. 2022 https://iwgia.org/doclink/iwgia-ipmg-sdg-14-ipmg-statement-eng-2022/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpd2dpYS1pcG1nLXNkZy0xNC1pcG1nLXN0YXRlbWVudC1lbmctMjAyMiIsImlhdCI6MTY3MjY2ODMzNiwiZXhwIjoxNjcyNzU0NzM2fQ.jPSHR5E8Ja3BKfBKVS4YOqx9z3JwxUemOtwPQN9wTp8
[13] Local Biodiversity Outlooks 2. 2022. Available at: https://www.cbd.int/gbo5/local-biodiversity-outlooks-2#:~:text=Local%20Biodiversity%20Outlooks%202%20(LBO,Agreement%2C%20and%20the%20Convention%20on
[14] Summary of the President of ECOSOC on the 2022 HLPF . 2022. https://hlpf.un.org/sites/default/files/2022-11/Summary%20of%20the%202022%20HLPF%20POE.pdf
[15] ECOSOC. 2022. “Ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of the 2022 session of the Economic and Social Council and the 2022 high-level political forum on sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the Council, on the theme “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Available at: https://undocs.org/E/HLS/2022/1
[16] “The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022” July 2022. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/progress-report/
[17] Ibid.
[18] The Indigenous Navigator. 2023. www.indigenousnavigator.org
[19] Global Witness. 2022. A decade of defiance. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/deadly-decade-land-and-environmental-activists-killing-every-two-days/
[20] Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso (2nd time), Cambodia (2ND TIME), Canada (2ND TIME), Central African Republic (2ND TIME), Comoros, Chile (3RD TIME), Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (2ND TIME), European Union, Fiji (2ND TIME), France, Guyana (2ND TIME), Iceland, Ireland, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda (2ND TIME), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, St Kitts & Nevis, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste (2ND TIME), Turkmenistan, United Republic of Tanzania (2ND TIME), Uzbekistan, Venezuela (2ND TIME), Viet Nam (2ND TIME), Zambia
Tags: Global governance, Climate, Human rights
