Indigenous peoples
Relevant sources: ICCPR Arts. 1(1), 2(1), 24(1), 26-27; ICESCR Art. 2(2); CRC Arts. 2(1), 17, 29(1)(d), 30; UDHR Arts. 2, 7; U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; International Labour Organisation Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, No. 169
Core elements of the guarantee during the COVID-19 pandemic include:
- Ensure “specific measures” and “dedicated funding for indigenous peoples” are included in “pandemic contingency plans and laws” (UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples)
- Ensure ongoing consultation with indigenous communities (UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples)
- Protect human rights defenders including by not using “[e]mergency powers . . . to quash dissent or silence indigenous leaders and rights defenders” (UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples)
- Include indigenous peoples’ rights in economic and social recovery programs (UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples)
Further guidance can be found here: OHCHR; UN Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues
Show me all types of advances during COVID-19
| Measure | Country |
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| CDC COVID-19 Funding for Tribes | United States |
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“As of June 15, 2021, CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has provided $219.5 million to tribal nations, consortia, and organizations for responding to COVID-19 across tribal communities.” Of… |
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| Indian Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Plan | United States |
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The Indian Health Service (IHS) COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Plan November 2020 “details how the IHS health care system will prepare for and operationalize a vaccine when it becomes available” and… |
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| Sociocultural Guide for Prevention, Containment and Management of Cases of COVID-19 among Indigenous Peoples (Guía Sociocultural para la prevención, contención y manejo de casos COVID-19) | Guatemala |
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The guide compiles actions suggested by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, through the Unit of Indigenous Peoples and Interculturality, to be applied in communities where inhabitants of… |
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| Updated COVID-19 Māori Health Response Plan | New Zealand |
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The plan “builds on the progress made by the Initial COVID-19 Māori Response Action Plan and provides an updated framework to protect, prevent, and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 within… |
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| Court Forces Ecuador Government to Protect Indigenous Waorani during Covid-19 | Ecuador |
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A provincial court ruling required “several government ministries to take urgent action to contain COVID-19 in Waorani territory, and protect the uncontacted Indigenous nations of Tagaeri and Taromenane, whose territory… |
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| Revised Circular Relating to Entry into Force of the Regulations Relating to Rejection etc. of Foreign Nationals Out of Concern for Public Health | Norway |
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While Norway’s regulations “stipulate that foreign nationals without a residence permit may be rejected for reasons of public health, due to the outbreak of the hazardous and widely infectious disease… |
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| HHS Awards $15 Million to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Tribal Communities | United States |
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration “awarded $15 million to 52 Tribes, Tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, and other health services providers… |
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| Multisectoral Strategy for the Protection of Indigenous Communities in the Health Emergency of COVID-19, Decree 1489 (Estrategia Multisectorial para Protección de los Pueblos Indígenas u Originarios en el Marco de la Emergencia Sanitaria por el COVID-19, Decreto 1489) | Peru |
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Peru’s Decree 1489 sets out five actions to protect and care for indigenous or native communities within the framework of the COVID-19 health emergency in the areas of: health response,… |
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| Indian Health Service Expanded Telehealth Services | United States |
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The Indian Health Service (IHS) announced “its expansion of telehealth across IHS federal facilities” allowing “more American Indians and Alaska Natives to access healthcare they need from their home, without… |
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| Indigenous Community Support Fund | Canada |
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Starting in March 2020, Canada put in place a fund that “helps Indigenous communities and organizations prevent, prepare and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).” The fund supports the following… |
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| Support Package for Māori Communities and Businesses through COVID-19 | New Zealand |
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New Zealand’s plan, including its economic package, contains provisions “to support Māori communities and businesses in the face of COVID-19” including funding “targeted directly to Māori Health services,” assistance to… |
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| Technical Guidelines for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Indigenous Territories, Version 1 (Lineamientos Técnicos para la Prevención de COVID-19 en Territorios Indígenas, Versión 1) | Costa Rica |
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The Ministry of Health published a set of guidelines to protect indigenous populations from COVID-19 that include actions relating to communal participation in the prevention of COVID-19, communication and prevention… |
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