Part V Economic and Social Rights, Ch.17 Indigenous Rights to Development, Socio-Economic Rights, and Rights for Groups with Vulnerabilities: Articles 20–22, 24, and 44

Subject(s):

Indigenous peoples — Development, right to — Right to health — Women, rights — Rape and sexual violence

This chapter looks at Articles 20, 21, 22, 21, and 44, considering rights to development, socio-economic rights, and rights for groups with particular vulnerabilities. These provisions are centred on: the economic, social, and cultural rights of indigenous peoples, with a particular focus on the right to health; their right to development; and the rights of those indigenous individuals and groups who are particularly vulnerable, including women and children, and again with a particular focus on women's rights to be free from violence. The provisions highlight the evolving place of indigenous rights within the overall framework of international law and international human rights. However, the negotiating history of the provisions demonstrates that some of the core issues addressed in these Articles remain contested. The right to development itself, let alone a vision of development in harmony with indigenous worldviews, remains controversial and resisted by states.