Press release | 28.02.2018
Luxembourg takes exemplary step to protect indigenous peoples
Climate Alliance welcomes Luxembourg's ratification of International Labour Organisation Convention No. 169
Luxembourg / Frankfurt am Main, 28 February 2018. “ILO Convention 169 is the only binding international treaty to protect the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. Any country that ratifies this convention strengthens its weight and thus also the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide. Luxembourg is only the fifth European country, alongside Denmark, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands, to have taken this important step. This is a good example for all States in the EU to follow: even countries without indigenous populations can recognise their rights and thus contribute to forest and climate protection. Where indigenous peoples live and where their land rights are recognised – this is also where the natural environ-ment is preserved. This means that ratification not only contributes to the protection of human rights, but also to the protection of the world's climate," explains Dietmar Mirkes of the Climate Alliance in Luxembourg.
Climate Alliance has helped put the issue on the political agenda in Luxembourg. Members of Luxembourg’s Parliament approved the ratification of ILO Convention No. 169 unanimous at their meeting on 27 February 2018. Luxembourg is therefore the 23rd country worldwide to ratify this important convention.
Further Information
- Background on ILO Convention 169
- Text of ILO Convention No. 169 (pdf)
- The Future We Want – Climate Alliance Publication on sustainable development with political recommendations (pdf)
- Background information from Climate Alliance Lëtzebuerg (in German)
- This position as a pdf
Kontakte
- Silke Lunnebach, Climate Justice Division Coordinator, Climate Alliance, T. +49 69 7171-32, s.lunnebach@climatealliance.org
- Sarah Mekjian, Communications Director, Climate Alliance, T. +49 69 7171 39-20, s.mekjian(at)climatealliance.org
