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Indigenous Peoples and Internal Displacement: A Legal No Man's Land?

Musgrave, Jack LU (2020) JAMM07 20191
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
“Cultural identity is closely linked to their ancestral lands. If they are deprived of them, by means of forced displacement, it seriously affects their cultural identity, and finally, their very right to life lato sensu...” (Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay)

In the last five decades a movement calling for the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights has precipitated in a wave of international human rights law that attempts to mitigate against the disintegration of indigenous peoples’ culture caused by external agitators. Occurrences of outside agitators on indigenous communities has resulted in an increase in internal displacement. During internal displacement indigenous peoples find themselves in a double-bind of... (More)
“Cultural identity is closely linked to their ancestral lands. If they are deprived of them, by means of forced displacement, it seriously affects their cultural identity, and finally, their very right to life lato sensu...” (Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay)

In the last five decades a movement calling for the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights has precipitated in a wave of international human rights law that attempts to mitigate against the disintegration of indigenous peoples’ culture caused by external agitators. Occurrences of outside agitators on indigenous communities has resulted in an increase in internal displacement. During internal displacement indigenous peoples find themselves in a double-bind of vulnerability. Firstly, vulnerable to human rights abuses as a direct result of internal displacement, and secondly, they are marginalised, excluded from consultation and assistance, and denied cultural expression due to long-standing structural discrimination. As such, internal displacement can lead to cultural disintegration, most prominently in situations of forced eviction and protracted displacement. The safety net of legal protection for indigenous people during internal displacement is stunted within international human rights law. The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (GPID or Guiding Principles) represents the foremost attempt at international law to uphold human rights during internal displacement, but in many respects, is the master of its own undoing. As such, the first part of this thesis will determine the scope of these Guiding Principles as they intersect with indigenous peoples’ rights, and then examine these against the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the International Labour Organization Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries 1989 (ILO Convention no. 169). This analysis will traverse the legal landscape for the human rights norms that seeks to protect indigenous peoples during internal displacement, and ultimately will identify the extent to which a legal ‘no man’s land’ exists.

The second part of this thesis will put into focus the developments of indigenous peoples’ rights flourishing within the regional jurisdiction of the Organization of American States (OAS), referencing case law and advisory opinions which assert justiciable rights for indigenous peoples. Using reasoning by analogy, the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will lay claim to sui generis rights for indigenous peoples in all instances of internal displacement, not limited to the most common occurrence of forced eviction but to include internal displacement induced by conflict, generalised violence, disasters and climate change. The legal basis for this rests upon indigenous peoples’ cultural and spiritual connection to their ancestral land, placing them in a unique ‘genus’ as rights holders. To strengthen this claim, it will be argued that ILO Convention no. 169 and UNDRIP operate in the same legal space, which is integrative, compatible and harmonious with the jurisprudential developments of the IACtHR. In light of the findings of this thesis, a case study on conflict in Colombia will be presented, which endorses a ‘realist’ and pro homine methodology to offer one mode of application for the rights of indigenous peoples during internal displacement. (Less)
Abstract (Spanish)
“La identidad cultural está estrechamente relacionada con sus tierras ancestrales. Si son despojados de ellas, por medio del desplazamiento forzoso, afecta gravemente su identidad cultural y finalmente, su derecho mismo a la vida lato sensu…”

En las últimas cinco décadas un movimiento llamando a la protección de los derechos de los nativos ha precipitado una ola de instrumentos de derechos humanos internacionales que intentan mitigar contra la desintegración de la cultura de los nativos ocasionada por agitadores externos. Las ocurrencias de agitadores externos en comunidades indígenas han resultado en un incremento en el desplazamiento interno. Durante el desplazamiento interno los indígenas se hallan en doble vínculo de... (More)
“La identidad cultural está estrechamente relacionada con sus tierras ancestrales. Si son despojados de ellas, por medio del desplazamiento forzoso, afecta gravemente su identidad cultural y finalmente, su derecho mismo a la vida lato sensu…”

En las últimas cinco décadas un movimiento llamando a la protección de los derechos de los nativos ha precipitado una ola de instrumentos de derechos humanos internacionales que intentan mitigar contra la desintegración de la cultura de los nativos ocasionada por agitadores externos. Las ocurrencias de agitadores externos en comunidades indígenas han resultado en un incremento en el desplazamiento interno. Durante el desplazamiento interno los indígenas se hallan en doble vínculo de vulnerabilidad. Primero, vulnerables a los abusos de los derechos humanos como resultado directo del desplazamiento interno, y, en segundo lugar, están marginalizados, excluidos de consulta y asistencia, y negados la expresión cultural debido a la discriminación estructural arraigada. Como tal, el desplazamiento interno puede conducir a la desintegración cultural, mayormente predominante en situaciones de evicción forzada y desplazamiento antiguo. La red de seguridad de protección legal para la gente nativa durante el desplazamiento interno es retrasada dentro de la ley de derechos humanos internacionales. Los Principios directivos en Desplazamiento Interno (GPIDO o Principios Rectores) representan el intento principal en la ley internacional para defender los derechos humanos durante el desplazamiento interno, pero en muchos aspectos, es el maestro de su propia ruina. Como tal, la primera parte de esta tesis determinará el alcance de estos Principios Rectores a medida que se entrelazan con los derechos de los indígenas y luego se examinan estos contra la declaración de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas (UNDRIP) y la Convención de la Organización de Labor Internacional con respecto a los Pueblos Nativos y Tribus en Países Independientes 1989 (ILO Convención no. 169). Este análisis recorrerá el escenario legal para las normas de los derechos humanos que buscan proteger a los pueblos indígenas durante el desplazamiento interno, y finalmente identificará la extensión a la que existe la “tierra de nadie” legal.

La segunda parte de esta tesis se enfocará en los desarrollos de los derechos de indígenas floreciendo dentro de la jurisdicción regional de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), referenciando la ley de l caso y las opiniones consultivas que afirman los derechos justiciables para los nativos. Usando el razonamiento por analogía, la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (IACtHR) presentará reclamación a los derechos sui generis para los indígenas en todas las instancias del desplazamiento interno, no limitado a la ocurrencia más común de despojo forzado sino para incluir el desplazamiento interno inducido por el conflicto, violencia generalizada, desastres, y cambio climático. La base legal para esto yace sobre la cultural de los pueblos indígenas y la conexión espiritual a su tierra ancestral, colocándolos en un “género” único como titulares de los derechos. Para fortalecer esta reclamación, se argumentará que la Convención ILO no. 169 y UNDRIP operarán en el mismo espacio legal, que es integrante, compatible y armonioso con los desarrollos jurisprudenciales del IACtHR. A la luz de los hallazgos de esta tesis, un estudio caso sobre el conflicto en Colombia será presentado, que trata una metodología “realista” y pro homine para ofrecer un modo de aplicación para los derechos de los indígenas durante el desplazamiento interno. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Musgrave, Jack LU
supervisor
organization
course
JAMM07 20191
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Indigenous peoples, human rights, internal displacement, Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, UNDRIP, ILO Convention no. 169, Colombia
language
English
id
9005962
date added to LUP
2020-03-09 11:54:34
date last changed
2020-03-09 11:54:34
@misc{9005962,
  abstract     = {{“Cultural identity is closely linked to their ancestral lands. If they are deprived of them, by means of forced displacement, it seriously affects their cultural identity, and finally, their very right to life lato sensu...” (Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay)

In the last five decades a movement calling for the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights has precipitated in a wave of international human rights law that attempts to mitigate against the disintegration of indigenous peoples’ culture caused by external agitators. Occurrences of outside agitators on indigenous communities has resulted in an increase in internal displacement. During internal displacement indigenous peoples find themselves in a double-bind of vulnerability. Firstly, vulnerable to human rights abuses as a direct result of internal displacement, and secondly, they are marginalised, excluded from consultation and assistance, and denied cultural expression due to long-standing structural discrimination. As such, internal displacement can lead to cultural disintegration, most prominently in situations of forced eviction and protracted displacement. The safety net of legal protection for indigenous people during internal displacement is stunted within international human rights law. The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (GPID or Guiding Principles) represents the foremost attempt at international law to uphold human rights during internal displacement, but in many respects, is the master of its own undoing. As such, the first part of this thesis will determine the scope of these Guiding Principles as they intersect with indigenous peoples’ rights, and then examine these against the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the International Labour Organization Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries 1989 (ILO Convention no. 169). This analysis will traverse the legal landscape for the human rights norms that seeks to protect indigenous peoples during internal displacement, and ultimately will identify the extent to which a legal ‘no man’s land’ exists. 
 
The second part of this thesis will put into focus the developments of indigenous peoples’ rights flourishing within the regional jurisdiction of the Organization of American States (OAS), referencing case law and advisory opinions which assert justiciable rights for indigenous peoples. Using reasoning by analogy, the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will lay claim to sui generis rights for indigenous peoples in all instances of internal displacement, not limited to the most common occurrence of forced eviction but to include internal displacement induced by conflict, generalised violence, disasters and climate change. The legal basis for this rests upon indigenous peoples’ cultural and spiritual connection to their ancestral land, placing them in a unique ‘genus’ as rights holders. To strengthen this claim, it will be argued that ILO Convention no. 169 and UNDRIP operate in the same legal space, which is integrative, compatible and harmonious with the jurisprudential developments of the IACtHR. In light of the findings of this thesis, a case study on conflict in Colombia will be presented, which endorses a ‘realist’ and pro homine methodology to offer one mode of application for the rights of indigenous peoples during internal displacement.}},
  author       = {{Musgrave, Jack}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Indigenous Peoples and Internal Displacement: A Legal No Man's Land?}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}