The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Program welcomes the support expressed by Pope Francis for his support for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
At an audience held in Rome on February 15, 2017 with Indigenous Leaders from around the world, Pope Francis expressed his support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, more specifically about Indigenous Peoples’ right to land as well as their cultural rights.
The Pope stated that “the right to prior and informed consent should always prevail, as foreseen in Article 32 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Only then is it possible to guarantee peaceful cooperation between governing authorities and indigenous peoples, overcoming confrontation and conflict”.
Click here to read the full statement as issued in a press release by the Vatican.
