Joint Statement Delivered by the Chinese Delegation on Behalf of a Group of Countries on the Accountability for Human Rights Violations against Indigenous People at the Item 4 General Debate at the 49th Session of the Human Rights Council
2022-03-21 18:13

(March 21 2022)

Madame Vice President,

I am honored to speak on behalf of a group of countries. We are deeply concerned at serious violation of human rights of indigenous people by some countries. In the past centuries, countries in question have oppressed and exploited the indigenous people, violating their human rights and fundamental freedoms, looting their land and resources, killing with brutality their population and eliminating their culture. They forcibly sent indigenous children to “boarding schools” for the purpose of assimilation. Indigenous children in “boarding schools” were abused, many of whom died unnatural deaths, and the truth has been covered up to this day.

Today, countries in question have not yet taken effective measures to protect the rights of the indigenous people, with discriminatory legislations and policies still in force. Indigenous people in those countries are subject to systemic discrimination and inequality, and have been marginalized at the bottom of the society. Their disadvantaged position further deteriorated under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We urge countries in question to immediately act to correct their wrongs, investigate human rights violations against the indigenous people, hold those responsible accountable, provide reparations to the victims, and eliminate completely discrimination against the indigenous people. We call upon the Human Rights Council to continue to attend to serious human rights violations against indigenous people by countries in question and take necessary actions accordingly.

Thank you, Madame Vice President.


China, Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, Comoros, Congo, DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Venezuela