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Addressee: States
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In implementing the Millennium Development Goals, States should ensure the absolute prohibition of racial discrimination and, where appropriate, should promote multicultural policies, affirmative action and special measures necessary for poverty reduction among indigenous communities
Responses
The Government of Argentina states the following in its report to the fifth session (E/C.19/2006/4):
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to produce a National Plan against Discrimination following the World Conference Against Racism in 2001. The situation of indigenous peoples, together with other cultural identities, was developed upon in the "area of analysis" diagnosis section of the National Plan against Discrimination (adopted by Executive Decree on 7 September 2005)
The report notes that "it is clear that, with only a few exceptions, our country is continuing to implement policies which disregard its citizens and their views and fail to take into account the environmental impact of the activities cncerns or the need for appropriate monitoring in order to prevent the destruction of natural resources".
In 1992, Argentina ratified ILO Convention 107 and in 1994, article 75 (17) o fthe Constitution recognized for the first time the pre-existence of the cultural and ethnic identity of Argentina's indigenous peoples and set out specific rights deriving from that recognition. Argentina has also ratified ILO Convention 169, which has been in force in Argentina since July 2001. However, the provisions for that Convention have not yet been harmonized with Argentina's domestic legislation. It is clear that few provisions of existing international law and agreements have been applied at the national and provincial levels.
The National Plan against Discrimination therefore includes concrete proposals in the areas of ensuring biodiversity, promoting structural changes, legislative reforms, administration of justice and legislation, public administration, religion, education, media and health. Please see the report for more details.
The Government of Mexico states the following in its report to the fifth session (E/C.19/2006/4/Add.3):
The Government amended Article 1, third paragraph of its constitution on 14 August 2001 in order to raise the prohibition of all forms of racial discrimination. In June 2003 the Federal Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination Act was promulgated and establishes mechanisms to ensure that Article 1 of the constitution is implemented. One of the most important powers that the Act grants to the National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination is that of receiving complaints and claims from citizens. Furthermore with the aim of sharply reducing inequalities based on race or ethnicity and addressing the problem of discrimination, the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI) was established. This Commission has carried out actions and projects designed to support the development of Mexico's indigenous peoples such as radio programs on indigenous culture, consultative councils on the radio programs, preventiion of violence against indigenous women, and a number of others. Please see report for further details.
Final Report of UNPFII Session 4 (2005)
Area of Work
