Protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact

Around 200 groups of Indigenous Peoples currently live in voluntary isolation and initial contact. They reside in remote forests, rich in natural resources, in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Venezuela. They choose to live detached from the rest of the world, and their mobility patterns allow them to engage in gathering and hunting, thereby preserving their cultures and languages. These peoples have a strict dependency on their ecological environment. Any changes to their natural habitat can harm both the survival of individual members and the group as a whole.

Despite their right to autonomy, as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact face unique challenges often overlooked by the surrounding world. Developments for agriculture, mining, tourism and natural resources in their territories result in the deforestation of swathes of Indigenous Peoples’ forests, disrupting their way of life and destroying the natural environment that they have protected for generations.

For Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact, one of the most serious threats from external contact is exposure to diseases. Due to their isolation, they do not have the immunological defenses to combat relatively common diseases. Forced contact with the outside world can lead to devastating consequences and can destroy entire societies.

This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August 2024 focuses on ‘Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact.’ Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact are the best protectors of the forest. Where their collective rights to lands and territories are protected, the forests thrive, alongside their societies. Not only is their survival crucial to the protection of our planet, but it is also essential to the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity. In today’s hyper-connected world, the existence of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact is a testament to the rich and complex tapestry of humanity. It would be a huge loss to our world if they were to cease to exist.

For more information: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2024