Mr. Enrique Iglesias
President, Interamerican Development Bank
S. / D.

Dear President Iglesias,

The undersigned indigenous organizations would like to re-affirm that we share the objectives of the Bank in adopting a strategic framework and an operational policy for the development of Indigenous Peoples in the American continent. Our organizations and experts have actively participated in the activities the Bank proposed to this end, demonstrating our good faith in support of the search for this objective.

Unfortunately, the IADB consultation has not been a democratic, participatory, transparent or effective process that reflects the concerns of Indigenous Peoples, victims of the pernicious effects of bank projects on our lives and rights. As a result the Indigenous Peoples Strategic Framework and Operative Policy are not consistent with international standards of protection for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

We Indigenous Peoples have been very clear that we recognize the Bank’s efforts to adopt a strategic framework and operational policy and we want to collaborate in this task, but we are not disposed to sacrifice our rights. The speed with which the document has been produced reflects the persistent interest of the members of the Indigenous Peoples Unit in imposing on Indigenous Peoples a strategic framework and operational policy that in all practical effect discriminate against our legitimate rights, and constitute an offense to the more than 510 years of struggle that we have in the national and international arena.

Mr. President, our organizations cannot accept that the Bank directives establish double standards in the field of human rights, as it is a moral and ethical obligation of the Bank and the States to recognize Indigenous Peoples rights precisely to establish dialogues and mutual understandings.

The last draft of the directive dated 29 June 2005 should have been presented to all Indigenous organizations in each of the regions, just as we made it known in our letter of 10 February 2005 and in the letter of 21 February 2005, in the Republic of Panama.

We are aware of the need for these important instruments but we cannot play with the future of more than 50 million Indigenous of the Americas to try to accelerate a process, accepting the argument of your leaving the Bank and the impossibility of continuing the process. We Indigenous Peoples have struggled and will continue to struggle for the respect of our collective human rights recognized in international instruments, as well in the recent decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

From the examination carried out by Indigenous organizations’ experts and technicians such as those undersigned and others, we observe that the our principal concerns as the right of self determination, free prior and informed consent, and the collective right to our lands, territories and natural resources are not considered and are reduced to mere consultation, compensation, and the participation of the beneficiaries only where possible. This being the conclusion of the Bank, we can only reject it for establishing standards of our rights that are discriminatory and exclude out our historical rights.

We also reject the methodology of participation and consultation promoted by the Bank’s Indigenous Unit as highly exclusive, undemocratic and not transparent and contrary to the principles of other international fora such as the OAS and UN, because of which we cannot accept responsibility for the content of the Strategic Framework or the Operational directive and we ask that our organizations that were supposedly consulted in the process be excluded and not named.

As a result of the above, we ask that the possibility of it being presented to the Directors for their approval be re-evaluated and that you request a more broad and transparent discussion with tolerance. Mr. President, our organizations will continue to struggle with the States for our rights in the international arena in the discussions on the declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the OAS as well as the UN.

Sincerely,

List of Indigenous Organizations

Panama

Congreso General Kuna
Congreso General Embera
Congreso General Ngobe Bugle
Centro de Asistencia Legal Popular (CEALP)
Centro de Desarrollo Kuna Yala (CEDEKY)
Asociacion Napguna

Argentina

Comisión de Juristas Indígenas en la Argentina (CJIRA)

Brasil

Coordenação e Articulação dos Povos Indígenas das Regiões Sul e Sudeste do Brasil - COAPIRS
Warã Instituto Indígena Brasileiro
Associação dos Estudantes Indígenas Universitários Kaingáng e Guarani -
AUIKG

Paulo Pankararu, abogado Indígena de Brasil

Belice

Consejo Nacional Indígena de Belice

Instituto Maya de Belice- Ukuxtal Masewal

Costa Rica

Asociación IXACAVAA de Desarrollo e Información Indígena

Organización indígena Kus Kura S.C.

México

ANIPA

Servicio del Pueblo Mixe

Celerino Felipe Cruz, abogado Indígena y ex miembro del Consejo Asesor Indígena

Organizaciones Internacionales

Consejo de Tratados Indios (CITI)

CC. Ann Deuterex
Juan León Alvarado, President of the OAS Working Group
High Commissioner for Human Rights

Attached, our analysis

Secretaría Cumbre Continental de Pueblos y Organizaciones Indígenas
Lavalle 437 4º ‘B’. (CP 1047) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Tel./Fax: 0054 11 4326 2940
E-mail: cumbrecontinentalindigena@yahoo.com.ar
Pagina Web: www.cumbrecontinentalindigena.org