UN Declaration's 20th Anniversary Prompts Call to Counter Repression

During the 19th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva, participants discussed preparations for the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which will be observed in 2027. Independent Indigenous representatives from Russia stated that the anniversary of the Declaration should not only be an occasion for taking stock but also an opportunity to draw attention to ongoing violations of Indigenous rights.

It was noted that for many Indigenous peoples, the upcoming anniversary is taking place against a backdrop of intensifying repression, shrinking civic space, and persecution of those who seek to implement the provisions of the Declaration.

According to speakers, not all organizations claiming to represent Indigenous peoples are willing to speak openly about existing problems.

"State-backed organizations do not speak about human rights violations, environmental destruction, or the loss of traditional territories. Instead, they attempt to discredit independent Indigenous organizations, which, despite enormous personal risks, continue to defend the rights of their peoples and work for the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," it was stated during the discussion.

Particular attention was paid to the situation in Russia. It was noted that after the large-scale searches and interrogations that took place in December 2025, more than ten Indigenous human rights defenders were forced to leave the country, including Valentina Sovkina, a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Speakers also reminded that human rights defenders Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt have now been held in pre-trial detention for over six months.

"For our peoples, a time of severe trials has come. But it is even more painful to realize that Indigenous woman Daria Egereva and human rights defender Natalia Leongardt have remained in detention for more than half a year," it was noted in the address.

Independent Indigenous representatives from Russia called on international Indigenous human rights organizations from all seven sociocultural regions of the world, as well as UN mechanisms, to join forces to counter repression, killings, forced exile, and the criminalization of Indigenous rights defenders.

In their view, only through the effective protection of those who defend the rights of their peoples can the full implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples become possible, along with the achievement of the goals for which it was adopted twenty years ago.

IR