None of the recommendations made at the UN to the Brazilian government regarding indigenous peoples have been followed or met by President Jair Bolsonaro. The finding is part of a review by more than one hundred organizations that analyzed human rights policies in Brazil and commitments made before United Nations mechanisms.
Every three years, governments around the world hold a hearing on the status of fundamental rights in their countries. In November, Brazil will turn to the review known at the UN as the Universal Periodic Review.
But one of the jobs is to assess whether governments are following the recommendations made last Saturday.
Eight reports submitted to the United Nations by more than 100 indigenous, indigenous, environmental and human rights organizations conclude that Brazil was not following any recommendations regarding indigenous rights, even if the government at the time agreed. Organizations involved in the work include APIB – Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, RCA – Amazon Collaborative Network, and Iepé – Institute for Research and Indigenous Education.
Overall, Brazil received 242 recommendations last Saturday covering all human rights issues. The analysis points to a serious situation: almost half (46%) of all recommendations are retroactive in addition to non-implementation. The third (35%) is constantly on hold.
That is, 80% of the recommendations are not followed when adding them. Only 17% of the recommendations are partially implemented and only one is implemented. Basically, what the analysis reveals is the weakening of the capacity of public institutions to serve the country’s population.
However, according to their analysis, none of the 34 recommendations received by Brazil, especially when it comes to indigenous peoples, were followed. “Many go backwards on demarcation of Indigenous lands, preventing racism and discrimination, protecting Indigenous leaders, having to consult beforehand,” he stresses.
For example, recommendations on measures to prevent and punish racism, discrimination and violence against indigenous peoples and to raise awareness of ethnic and racial equality were not followed.
“The bias and discrimination practiced by the Bolsonaro government may also be addressed when, through a decree, all college bodies subordinate to the federal public administration are extinguished, established by decree or lower normative law, affecting practically all relevant areas of civic engagement to the policies between them, the National Council for Indigenous Policy, The National Commission on Indigenous School Education, the National Policy Management Committee for the Regional and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands.”
Also noteworthy is the failure to implement and suspend education programs aimed at adequately addressing the contribution of indigenous peoples and the black population to the school curriculum, in accordance with the law that includes the compulsory theme in the official curriculum of the education network. “Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous in History and Culture”.
All four recommendations on promoting indigenous health, infant mortality, food and sanitation as well as intercultural education in villages were not implemented. “What happened was the weakening of existing policies and the dismantling of organs to implement them, the reduction of budget and federal programs. One example was the restructuring of the Mais Médicos program, resulting in the loss of 81 percent of doctors working in Special Indigenous Health Zones,” the figures reveal.
Ten recommendations dealing with the protection of the land rights of indigenous peoples, in particular the delineation of land boundaries, the guarantee of financial resources for Funai and the best link between Funai and Ibama, were not implemented and there was a marked setback in their implementation. Its duty is the constitutional right to protect indigenous rights and lands.
“Funai currently employs one-third of its workforce, which is exacerbated by the fact that 90% of its budget, foreseen in the 2019 Annual Budget Act, is unanticipated against indigenous rights abuses”.
Advice on climate policy and deforestation reduction in the Amazon is another piece of advice that has not been fulfilled and shows a setback. Five more recommendations to promote the democratic participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making are not implemented.
source: Noticias
