COVID-19 is a critical threat to indigenous peoples, at a time when many are also struggling against man-made
environmental damage and economic depredation.
In almost all the 90 countries where they live in often remote locations, many indigenous communities have deeply
inadequate access to health care, clean water and sanitation. Their communal way of life can increase the likelihood of
rapid contagion, although all over the world we have seen inspiring examples of indigenous communities taking measures
based on their strong internal organization to limit the spreading of the virus and reduce its impacts. Those who live
in more urban environments often suffer multidimensional poverty, and these harms are compounded by severe
discrimination – including in the context of health-care.
In the Americas, more than 70,000 indigenous people have been infected by COVID-19 to date. Among them are almost 23,000
members of 190 indigenous peoples in the Amazon basin. Over 1,000 deaths have been recorded, including several elders
with deep knowledge of ancestral traditions. They include the tragic death in Brazil this week of chief Aritana, of the
Yawalapiti people.
In this vast region spanning Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana,
420 or more indigenous peoples live on lands that are increasingly damaged and polluted by illegal mining, logging and
slash-and-burn agriculture. Despite regulations restricting movement and economic activities, many of these illegal
economic activities have continued in recent months, alongside movements by religious missionaries that also expose
communities to a high risk of infection.
Indigenous peoples who live in voluntary isolation from modern societies – or who are in the initial stages of contact –
may have particularly low immunity to viral infection, creating especially acute risks. Communities and peoples who have
been forced off their lands are also very vulnerable, particularly those who live in trans-border territories.
In June my Office issued a Guidance Note on indigenous peoples' human rights in the context of COVID-19. It highlights promising practices adopted by several
countries – many in close consultation with indigenous peoples – and emphasises practical recommendations with both
immediate and longer term impact on health.
Overall, the pandemic hammers home the importance of ensuring that indigenous peoples can exercise their rights to
self-government and self-determination. They must also be consulted, and should be able to participate in the
formulation and implementation of public policies affecting them, through their representative entities, leaders and
traditional authorities.
This is about saving lives and protecting a precious web of cultures, languages and traditional knowledge that connect
us to the deep roots of humanity.
On this International Day of Indigenous Peoples, my Office pledges to work with indigenous peoples, as well as with WHO,
United Nations Country Teams, UN human rights mechanisms, and States, to support better protection of their fundamental
human rights.