Indigenous People's Cases

Indigenous peoples are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change, due to their dependence upon, and close relationship, with the environment and its resources. Climate change exacerbates the difficulties already faced by indigenous communities including political and economic marginalization, loss of land and resources, human rights violations, discrimination and unemployment. There are already many cases brought before the courts by the indigenous peoples.

Legal Framework

 * ILO Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (1989)
 * United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)

Cases

 * Kivalina v. ExxonMobil - United States
 * Indigenous Communities of the Lhaka Honhat Association (Our Land) v. Argentina - Inter-American Human Rights System
 * Lho'imggin et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen - Canada
 * Maynas v. Occidental Petroleum - Peru
 * Petition of Torres Strait Islanders - UN Human Rights Committee
 * Rights of Indigenous People in Addressing Climate-Forced Displacement - United States
 * Saramaka People v. Suriname - Inter-American Human Rights System
 * Sarayaku v. Ecuador - Inter-American Human Rights System
 * Yanomami v. Brazil - Inter-American Human Rights System

Further Readings

 * United Nations Development Group’s Guidelines on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues

Organizations

 * Earth Rights International
 * Forest Peoples Programme