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EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive dialogue on Indigenous Peoples

14.10.2025
New York

13 October 2025, New York – EU Statement at the United Nations General Assembly 80th Session Third Committee Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Mr. Albert BARUME

EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive dialogue on Indigenous Peoples

Chair,

 

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

 

We would like to thank the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Albert Barume, for his work and welcome his interim report on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

Despite their rich histories and cultures, many Indigenous Peoples remain among the world’s most marginalised. They face increasing threats: growing competition for land and natural resources, driven by climate change.

 

The report clearly depicts some of the biggest and unique challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples, including in securing land rights. Legal acknowledgement of customary tenure is often weak or not effectively implemented, particularly for extremely marginalized Indigenous Peoples, such as those in voluntary isolation.

 

We note with concern that injustices and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples persists, including against Indigenous Peoples’ human rights defenders. The EU and its Member States condemn in the strongest terms cases of murder, harassment, reprisals, land grabbing, arbitrary forced evictions and other abusive practices.

 

We are a longstanding supporter of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and have contributed to its implementation through our human rights policies, our development policy and our financing instruments. The Declaration clearly states that Indigenous Peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired.

 

The EU continues to fund the Indigenous Navigator, an open-source, community-based data collection system and mapping tool managed by Indigenous Peoples for Indigenous Peoples. The data they collect empowers Indigenous Peoples’ and their communities and supports international advocacy. 

 

At the same time, the EU supports Indigenous representatives to participate in multilateral fora on all issues affecting them.

 

Mr. Special Rapporteur, we take note of all your recommendations and are looking forward to your final report in 2026. 

 

Given that the situation of Indigenous Peoples differs between countries and regions, there might be no one-size-fits-all solution.

 

  • Will the final recommendations go beyond the global core challenges outlined in the recommendations of the interim report?

  • What kind of information are you hoping to get from Member States during the consultations? 

 

 

Thank you Chair.