Türk says respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights essential to resolve conflicts and make new tech safe for all

Madam Chair,
Distinguished Members of the Expert Mechanism,
Representatives of Indigenous Peoples,
Excellencies,
Colleagues and friends,

Pleasure to be here.

I honour the presence of Indigenous Peoples from every region of the world at this session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Your participation has been key to the creation and achievements of this body. More broadly, your contributions have led and nourished our efforts to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination, participation, non-discrimination, justice and more.

At a time of profound global uncertainty, Indigenous Peoples continue to demonstrate the leadership the world urgently needs.

Your knowledge systems contribute directly to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, sustainable resource management and social cohesion.

Across the world, Indigenous young people are spearheading work to address climate change, to protect biodiversity, to  revitalise languages, to preserve cultural heritage and to promote human rights.

Indigenous Peoples' rights are not theoretical aspirations for the future; they are obligations for the present, now. And wherever those rights are respected, all of society becomes more just, more peaceful and more resilient.

Yet, a persistent gap remains between international commitments to Indigenous Peoples' rights and their implementation in practice.

Mining and extractive activities, deforestation and large-scale agriculture exploit and destroy lands and territories without the consent of Indigenous Peoples.

These concerns are becoming more urgent.

Growing demand for critical minerals, renewable energy infrastructure and large-scale development projects is placing increasing pressure on Indigenous lands and territories.

The world's transition to a greener economy is essential – and it cannot come at the expense of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. There must be a just transition, firmly grounded in human rights, meaningful participation, and consent to all projects affecting their territories and resources.

Indigenous environmental human rights defenders   — including many women and young people — face widespread intimidation, criminalisation, harassment and violence for defending their lands and ecosystems. 

Between 2023 and 2025, at least 15 per cent of the human rights defenders killed or forcibly disappeared around the world were Indigenous rights defenders. I want to emphasise this disproportionate and unacceptable impact on Indigenous activists.

In addition, Indigenous Peoples are often targeted for prosecution, and their legitimate activities criminalised, based on broad and vaguely worded laws on terrorism and extremism.

The death of the Nicaraguan Miskitu leader Brooklyn Rivera six weeks ago while arbitrarily detained reflects such patterns of repression.

Distinguished participants,

In this era of turmoil, conflict is surging across many regions. Indigenous Peoples are among those facing loss, displacement and the misery that it engenders.

This year’s study by the Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in conflict and post-conflict situations sheds light on these issues and makes clear that systemic issues need to  be resolved if peace is to be achieved.

Historical injustices; dispossession of lands and resources;  denial of self-determination; systematic discrimination and inequalities; environmental degradation; and the erosion of their governance systems are some of the factors that shape the violence inflicted on Indigenous Peoples. 

Yet, Indigenous Peoples have played a long-standing and central role in building peace, through governance systems and customary law that support accountability and restoration; and traditional practises that are conducive to social harmony. Examples include the efforts of the Mazahua, Otomi, Nahua, Matlatzinca and Tlahuica peoples in Mexico.

Durable peace requires inclusion, justice, meaningful participation at every stage and recognition of rights. And this must involve recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights to self-determination and to control over their lands.

In this context, the work of this Expert Mechanism is key to bringing international standards to life, in practice.

I welcome your recent engagement in Brazil to examine the protection of Indigenous Peoples who choose to remain in voluntary isolation or who have come into initial contact with the majority population. This engagement demonstrated the value of dialogue among Indigenous Peoples, governments and human rights mechanisms, in relation to land rights, environmental degradation, illegal mining and violence. These lessons resonate far beyond one country.

I also welcome recent advances in domestic courts. In May, an Indigenous group in Australia secured record compensation for mining conducted without their consent — a significant step towards accountability and redress.

Distinguished participants, 

Humanity's oldest traditions can and must help us to guide our newest innovations.

The Expert Mechanism has produced far-sighted and useful work on artificial intelligence and digital systems.

Data is a cultural, strategic and economic resource that can be misused to fuel discrimination and dispossession. Indigenous Peoples need to be able to exercise control over data relating to their communities and knowledge systems, and I look forward to the Expert Mechanism's further examination of these issues at this session.

I also urge States to strengthen their support for the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, which has enabled thousands of representatives of Indigenous Peoples to bring their voices to international fora.

And finally - but importantly - I encourage all of you to join our Global Alliance for Human Rights, which we launched last month.

It will link the work of doers and thinkers from every region, sector, and age group, pooling the thoughts of people working from the Amazon to the Arctic into a great river of solutions for human rights, and I invite Indigenous Peoples to participate.

Together, we can work to place all human rights at the centre of decision-making, everywhere. 
Thank you.