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Peru: Foreign Relations

Answer

The UK maintains an open dialogue with Peru on human rights. During Peru's Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in May 2008, the UK recommended that Peru tackle discrimination against vulnerable groups such as indigenous peoples. Following outbreaks of violence between police and civilians, including indigenous groups, in July 2009 our ambassador to Peru spoke to both Prime Minister Velasquez Quesquen and Foreign Minister Garcia Belaunde urging dialogue and the establishment of a process to give indigenous groups an equal voice in planning the sustainable development of Peru's Amazon region.We continue to follow closely Peru's progress on the rights of indigenous peoples, including implementing the recommendations the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples made after his visit to Peru in July 2009. We welcome the dialogue mechanism established between the Peruvian government and indigenous groups and the recent creation of two natural reserves on part of Peru's indigenous territory. This measure safeguards the biodiversity of the area and natural resources for the indigenous communities living there.The Government are committed to protecting human rights of indigenous people although we do not plan to sign International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 169. As the UK does not have any indigenous people as defined by article la of the Convention we would be unable to give effect to the Convention. The convention sets out a framework for the way in which governments operate in regard to indigenous people within their own territories.The UK supported the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted in September 2007, as we consider this an important tool to protect indigenous people. This declaration is important because it represents the views and wishes of indigenous people as well as those of the UN member states, recognises the rights of indigenous individuals and establishes the parameters for future work on the basis of mutual respect.We are also committed to implementing EU Council Resolution of 30 November 1998 on Indigenous peoples within the framework of the development co-operation of the Community and the member states, a policy which indigenous people were involved in developing. In 2005, we agreed the joint statement on EU development policy that committed the EU to strengthening the mainstreaming of indigenous issues. This involves regularly meeting representatives of indigenous groups to discuss policy and implementation, as well as making indigenous groups eligible for funding under EU human rights and democracy programmes. The EU is also funding the ILO to work on implementing ILO Convention 169 in Africa, Latin America and South Asia.The Government have also set out its plans and undertakings in the DFID 2005 Policy Paper "Reducing poverty by tackling social exclusion", which includes the rights of indigenous peoples. These include undertaking to identify which groups in society are excluded and why, through the country governance analysis process which feeds into country assistance plans, as well as recognising that indigenous peoples are often denied rights especially through their language not being recognised and/or through living in remote or isolated geographical locations. These also include supporting programmes which seek to strengthen the rights, voice and political representation and participation of excluded groups.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

505 c241-2W; 314704

Session

2009-10

Subjects

Human rights Foreign relations Peru

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk