The protection of the collective rights of indigenous and traditional peoples, including the guarantee of free, prior and informed consultation and consent, is provided for in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169 and was ratified by the Federal Government in 2004, through Decree No. 5,051. With the aim of discussing the main challenges and opportunities for applying these rules, CEBDS promoted, on March 31st, the webinar “Free, Prior and Informed Consultation and Consent” in your Youtube channel.
Moderated by the anthropologist Cassio English, from Comtexto Consultoria, the event began with a statement from the first indigenous woman elected federal deputy in Brazil, Joênia Wapichana. She spoke about the importance of Convention 169, which deals with the guarantee of various rights of indigenous and traditional peoples, mainly related to cultural protection, community protection and the guarantee of participation in decision-making processes that directly affect them. “The Convention guarantees the right to prior participation, free from pressure and well-informed, that is, before the project or measure is implemented and with the provision of all possible information about the object in question,” she explained.
Next, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office Thales Coelho listed some challenges to ensuring the rights of indigenous and traditional peoples in Brazil. “It is necessary to observe the consultation protocols established by each community. We have a great diversity of indigenous and traditional peoples in Brazil and the consultation protocols are the form of dialogue between them and the state and companies and are important so that the process respects the culture of each affected people”, he emphasized.
The event also had the participation of Vale's Executive Manager of Social Management, Camilla Lott, who spoke about the need for formal regulations that establish parameters and provide legal certainty for the process of consultation with indigenous and traditional peoples. “We will only move forward on this issue through dialogue, with the involvement and effective participation of indigenous and traditional peoples in all decisions that affect them,” he reinforced.
To watch the full webinar, simply click here.
