communications, Author at Franciscans International

In Brazil, the administration of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) has pushed for more mining, including on protected Indigenous lands. These regressive measures accelerated not only deforestation but also the loss of biodiversity, contamination of water sources by mercury, food insecurity, and health hazards for local populations. Since President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office at the beginning of the year, a new Brazilian government has committed to removing illegal miners from Indigenous lands and bringing health care assistance to affected populations, especially on Yanomami territory.

Meet Brother Rodrigo Péret OFM, who lives in the state of Minas Gerais, known as the “storehouse” of mineral riches in soil. FI discussed his work on the environmental and human rights violations stemming from illegal mining, and how the change of administration is an opportunity for better accountability of the extractive industry, most recently through the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.

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Can you introduce yourself and explain your work, especially on mining issues?

My name is Rodrigo, I’m a Franciscan Brother who lives in the Brazilian city of Uberlândia, and I belong to the Franciscans Custody of the Sacred Heart. I was born in Minas Gerais state, where two big mining disasters (2015 and 2019) killed all together 291 people, destroyed two rivers’ basins, and affected thousands of people. Since then, no real reparation or justice has happened. I have also been working since the 1980s on land conflict and agrarian reform because many people depend on the land to survive, whether for housing or to produce food. I later started to approach issues around mining because, in Minas Gerais, the extraction of phosphate rocks, niobium, and rare earth elements is causing significant environmental impacts. It is worth noting that this area is at the Cerrado Biome, which covers 25% of Brazil, and is one of the world’s most important ecosystems.

What inspired you to start this work? And how does it connect to your calling as a Franciscan Brother?

My inspiration comes from Francis. When he embraced the lepers, it meant that he embraced all those who were excluded. When I moved to Minas Gerais state in the region of the Triângulo Mineiro, I was thinking about who are the ones that are excluded from our society – the ones that I have to dedicate my life to as a consecrated person. This is not something I just do for work, it is also a way of living. I studied civil engineering, which helped me better comprehend mining and environmental issues, and thus serve the people better. I understand my life from this perspective, a gospel that has a social and environmental dimension.

According to you, what are some of the main challenges we are facing today?

I think the main challenge is how to understand ourselves in a consumerist world. Nowadays, we talk about the energy transition to so-called “clean energy”. But if lithium and other elements – metal and minerals – are necessary to develop these technologies, it means increasing mining, which is going to put more pressure on territories, resulting in more conflicts and destruction. The second challenge is how to approach those who are suffering the most from climate change. Because it does not have the same impact everywhere and on everyone, this is something we need to address. The last challenge is how to build a new world from this, with more respect for this planet, Mother Earth, that feeds and governs us.

What would you say is your proudest achievement?

It is to understand that God is everywhere. Even in extreme poverty, people have their own dignity, and life is there. But when fundamental rights are being threatened, it is necessary to work with all the existing tools, which is why it is important to be in discussions at the UN and the local level. It is also to be able to use these instruments from a different perspective, having in mind that the construction of what we call the Kingdom of God is a process where we must involve different people. We need to come together to have one strong voice and to make it heard.

How have you been using the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism? And do you think the new government will have an impact on its use?

The UPR is an important process because it reveals the human rights obligations that the countries have. We wrote a report on the consequences of Bolsonaro’s term: it was a real disaster, especially in terms of the extractive economy, the lack of compliance with environmental laws, and the destruction of the Amazon. We came to the pre-sessions in August last year, and the countries made recommendations to Brazil in November. Now our goal is to translate these recommendations to civil society, and open avenues for negotiations to go towards more business accountability related to human rights. To do so, we need to work at both local and international levels, involving the whole Franciscan family in the process. It won’t be easy to recover from the last years, but I think the new government of Lula will bring a better implementation of these recommendations. Still, we are going to need international pressure to push for important changes in domestic policies.

In the last decade, Brazil has been listed as the deadliest country for land and environmental defenders. Have you ever felt that risk? And what do you think needs to be done in terms of protection?

Of course. Like many other people, I have faced regular threats related to my line of work and have even been arrested. I am now on a protection program. In Brazil, those who are most at risk are HRDs dealing with environmental issues. I think it is important to build a network in the territory of people protecting each other. But it is also necessary that the federal government better implements policies related to the protection of human rights and environmental defenders. Now with the change of government, we have more avenues to make this work.

For more information, check out our main article on Franciscans at the Forefront of Human Rights.

This year, World Environment Day focuses on the theme of plastic pollution and the need for accelerated action to combat it. As part of this effort, UN negotiations towards a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution have begun. Importantly, the resolution establishing negotiations called for provisions in the instrument which encourages “action by all stakeholders, including the private sector.”

In a statement released ahead of World Environment Day, the UN Special Rapporteurs on toxic wastes and on the environment highlight the scale of the problem: every year, the world is generating 400 million tons of plastic, the production of which almost exclusively relies on fossil fuels. They warn that “Plastic, microplastic and the hazardous substances they contain can be found in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. While everyone is affected by the negative human rights impacts of plastic, the level of exposure to plastic-related pollution and waste affects marginalised communities the most.”

Franciscans International underscores the role of the private sector in plastic pollution, and indeed in the whole triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution that the world currently faces. We must confront the reality that while the operations and activities of corporations are a driver of this crisis, there has been little accountability. Instead, our partners on the ground continue to call attention to the adverse impacts that their communities face as a result of business activities, ranging from extractive industries to waste disposal.

“In today’s globalized world, both business activities and the pollution they cause know no borders. The negative human rights implications of this situation can only be addressed through a collective effort by the international community,” says Markus Heinze OFM, Executive Director of Franciscans International. “We cannot tolerate a situation where communities, particularly in the Global South, are first exploited for their resources, bear the brunt of climate change, and often turned into ‘sacrifice zones’ for waste and pollutants. Strong, legally binding UN mechanisms in this context are instrumental for a just and livable world.”

In this vein, Franciscans International continues to advocate for a UN legally binding instrument to regulate transnational corporations under international human rights law. While the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions recognizing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment recall the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, it is clear that States must move beyond non-binding principles and commitments. Rather, States must fulfill their human rights obligations, prevent violations and environmental degradation by business entities, including extraterritorially by businesses “domiciled in their territory and/or jurisdiction,”¹ and ensure appropriate redress.

Moreover, as noted by the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, States violate their obligations when they “prioritize the interests of business entities over Covenant rights without adequate justification […].” Franciscans International calls attention to the presence of business entities (and interests) at the UN, including in forums related to the environment, as part of so-called “multi-stakeholderism.”² Businesses can only be “part of the solution,” as underscored by UN officials, when there is appropriate regulation and when they are held accountable for human rights abuses and environmental degradation caused by their activities.

On this World Environment Day, Franciscans International underscores the gravity of the triple planetary crisis and the urgency for ensuring that business bottom lines do not continue to be prioritized over people and planet.

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CESCR, General Comment no. 24, Para.26
See for example: COP27: Sharp rise in fossil fuel industry delegates at climate summit, BBC, 10 November 2022; Corporate Capture of the United Nations, ESCR-Net, 11 February 2021.

The International Board of Directors (IBD) of Franciscans International met in Assisi, Italy from 11 to 14 May 2023. After significant deliberations, prayer and discernment, on 13 May the IBD appointed Blair Matheson TSSF, to be the new Executive Director of FI. He will replace Brother Markus Heinze OFM on 1 January 2024.

Blair is an Anglican Third Order Franciscan from New Zealand. He and Br. Markus will work together during the transition period from now until the end of the current calendar year. The Board recognizes the tremendous contributions by Br. Markus, who, over the past eleven years, guided FI through significant changes toward both organizational and financial stability.

The members of the IBD look forward to working with Blair and the dedicated staff of FI as we continue to stand up for human dignity, care for creation, and promote peace, defending human rights and raising these concerns at the United Nations and to the international community.

Photo from left to right: Markus Heinze OFM; Blair Matheson TSSF; Michael Perry OFM; Carlos Trovarelli OFMConv (liaison from the Conference of the Franciscan Family); Charity Nkandu SFMA; Carolyn Townes OFS; James Donegan OFMCap; José Eduardo Jazo TOR; and Joseph Blay OFMConv.

We are delighted to be launching our new website today! For the past year and a half, Franciscans International has been working to build a website with one simple goal in mind: making our work more accessible to you.

We warmly invite you to have a look around and hope that you’ll share our enthusiasm. Before you visit, we’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the new features that we are most excited about.

Franciscans and the United Nations

Franciscan values are at the core of our advocacy at the United Nations. The new website features more information about how we connect these two worlds and how it shapes the work we do. We have also added new sections with stories about the sisters and brothers that advocate at the UN and with resources that explore the roots and spiritual dimensions of our work at the United Nations.

Improved access to our resources

All our advocacy interventions, tools, and publications are now easily accessible in one section. The website is built with a new functionality that will allow you to search through and filter these resources based on their type, subject matter, date range, and the countries and regions covered. We added a similar functionality to help you navigate through our past annual reports and newsletters. Finally, an improved general search bar at the top of our website will also allow you to find what you look for more easily.

Get to know us in six languages!

We want to make sure that our work is accessible to everyone: that’s why our new website is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. You can easily switch between the different languages by selecting your desired option at the top and the bottom of the screen. Although we’re doing our best to make our content available in all languages, if there is no translation available, the English version will still appear by default.

Understanding our work

Franciscans work on a wide variety of issues across the world – we realize sometimes this can get complicated. You can now find a simple overview of how we translate this work at the grassroots into concrete action at the United Nations. We’ve also added new sections where you can read up on our thematic and regional advocacy and see our latest activities in each area at a glance.

Supporting Franciscan voices at the UN has never been easier!

Last but not least, we can only amplify Franciscan voices at the United Nations thanks to the generous support of our donors. However, this should not be the complicated part. We’ve updated our donation platform to make things as easy as possible for anyone who wants to support our work. Through the new website you can make a contribution – big or small – with just a few clicks. Spread the word!

Tell us what you think!

We hope that you will enjoy this website and all its new feature. Together with the experts at Longbeard, we’ve done our very best to make the work of Franciscans at the UN as accessible as possible. We invite you to share your feedback with us, so we can continue to improve.

Franciscans International participated in the twenty-second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York, focusing on “Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach.” During these two weeks, FI had the opportunity to meet with grassroots and other partners, including the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) and the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), whose delegations included individuals from the Amazon in Brazil, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Many interventions by Indigenous groups focused on the so-called “energy transition” and raised concerns over the extensive mining of Indigenous lands and consequent impacts on the environment and human rights.

Building on its work at the UN in Geneva, FI called for support for the ongoing negotiations toward a legally binding instrument to regulate transnational corporations under international law. FI previously raised the negative impacts of business activities on Indigenous Peoples during a high-level side event at the 20^th session of the UNPFII.

FI also shared recommendations with some members of the UNPFII to include language on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (R2HE) in the final report, following the recognition of this right by the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Brother Rodrigo Péret OFM also joined FI during meetings on the margins of the forum and made a presentation to the Mining Working Group on extractive issues and on how civil society organizations across the world can work together to counter these trends.

We welcomed the draft report of the UNPFII, which reiterated FI’s recommendations on the following issues:

On the R2HE: “The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the right to health and development and the rights of Indigenous Peoples must be seen as interconnected and must be strengthened in intergovernmental negotiations as essential elements of an integrated planetary health governance framework.”

On a legally binding instrument: “The Permanent Forum welcomes the ongoing international efforts to develop legally binding instruments that ensure accountability and due diligence by transnational companies. The reflection of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in such instruments is essential.”

FI will keep monitoring developments on related issues as well as the implementation of key recommendations. We will also continue to advocate for better protection of Indigenous Peoples against human rights abuses caused by business activities. To learn more about FI’s commitment to elevating the voices of Indigenous Peoples, especially in the context of extractive industries, have a look at our article on ‘working toward business accountability at the United Nations’.

The Philippines has experienced severe human rights violations in the past decades, especially linked to the “war on drugs” by former President Duterte (2016-2022). His term was defined by threats, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and harassment of human rights defenders.

Meet Sister Susan Esmile SFIC, who belongs to the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.^* In 2008, she was assigned as the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator of the Philippine North Province. Since then, she has worked to protect people at risk, feed the poor, strengthen communities, and support the victims of injustice.

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What are the main human rights issues in the Philippines and how do these relate to your work?

Violations of the right to life, right to food, clean water, and shelter, as well as corruption, are the main human rights issues in the Philippines. People living in poverty are the most vulnerable, and when they are not able to study or lack better opportunities, they sometimes can fall into the trap of selling drugs. During Duterte’s “war on drugs”, thousands of people disappeared or were found dead. Under Operation “Tokhang”, the police were allowed to raid suspects’ homes without a warrant.

They were supposed to persuade them to surrender and stop their illegal activities. In reality, most of them were unlawfully killed, often in their own homes. We visited the wake of the victims and tried to console the bereaved families with our presence. We gave a little financial help to the poorest, especially when those killed were the families’ breadwinners. We tried to organize and gather the families of the victims living in the same area and referred them to other institutions that can help them address their traumas.

What inspired you to start work on human rights issues, and how does it connect to your calling as a Franciscan Sister?

For me, our commitment to God means embracing the cause or the mission of Christ. This means the protection of life, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, freeing the captives, etcetera. It is a tall order for me if I want to be Christ’s disciple. Believing that Saint Francis of Assisi has followed Jesus and the Gospel almost verbatim, I feel that this is also my calling – to be faithful in following his example of total dedication to the cause of Christ.

Can you give examples of people you helped protect?

Many people were being hunted or run after by the military because of their political orientation or because they witnessed extrajudicial killings. In 2007, a corruption scandal involving then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was exposed by Mister Rodolfo Jun Lozada. He received many death threats from the people involved in that scandal, so I was usually the one to accompany him to the hearings.

We also took care of the family of a young girl who witnessed the killing of Kian de Los Santos, one of the numerous victims of the “Tokhang”. For more than a year, we accompanied the witness at court hearings to ensure her safety and give her moral support. Of course, there was always the risk of being caught by the police, the military, or vigilantes while transporting the person from one place to another, especially if it was someone high-profile.

What is your proudest achievement?

I invited victims of human trafficking and families of the victims of Duterte´s war on drugs, and I asked them to share their experiences with the sisters as a way of helping them release their pains and sufferings and to find support from them. As for the sisters, it made them more aware of what is happening in our society so that their prayers for the victims of injustice are more concrete after meeting personally and hearing first-hand experiences of the victims. During the pandemic, we also asked for donations and worked with some groups and individuals in providing help: goods like rice, canned goods, and vegetables, through community pantries to the poor, especially those who have lost their jobs.

According to you, what is the difference between charity and human rights work? And do you think they complement each other?

Charity and human rights are similar in many obvious ways. They are both acts of compassion and recognition of the dignity of the individual person. But charity is more about giving material goods to the poor whereas human rights work is addressing the roots of their suffering. There is no obligation to charity. Human rights work is something more – it is a necessary commitment.

* The SFIC is a member of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) now called the Conference of Major Superiors in the Phils (CMSP). One of the mission partners of this institution is the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPICC) whose members are the JPIC representatives from the different member congregations.

For more information, check out our main article on Franciscans at the Forefront of Human Rights.

As we mark World Water Day and UN representatives, civil society, and other stakeholders gather for the Water Conference in New York, we must confront a dire reality: like UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently stated, “the world is woefully off-course to achieve our goal of water and sanitation for all by 2030.”

In regions already experiencing water scarcity, which is now increasingly exacerbated by the triple-planetary crisis, corporate interests are further driving and aggravating the situation. Indeed, in 2021, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment reported that businesses are “a major contributor to water pollution, water overuse, and degradation of freshwater ecosystems […]” While often cloaked in the language of development, these projects frequently lead to human rights violations, including when free, prior, and informed consent is not given by Indigenous Peoples.

One such example can be seen in Guatemala, where Franciscans International works closely with Indigenous Q’eqchi communities, who have taken a stand against hydro-electric projects that divert their sacred rivers. Already, this has destroyed much of the plant and marine life that traditionally sustained these communities. Those demanding their right to meaningful consultation and to consent about the project have instead been criminalized and, in some cases, jailed on spurious charges.

“The Cahabón Riveris sacred, it’s a source of food and life,” says sixteen-year-old Nikte Caal, a Q’eqchi environmental defender, who recently spoke at an event during the UN Human Rights Council about her activism and her father who was jailed for his human rights work. “It is our duty to defend the ecosystems and biodiversity and to fight for the life of our Mother Earth, to fight for our life and that of the next generations. We cannot be observers of the destruction of our environment. We must inform ourselves of what is happening and act.”

This is not an isolated phenomenon: Franciscans International has worked with communities facing similar violations in numerous countries, from Brazil to the Solomon Islands, where extractive industries and large-scale agricultural projects, amongst other sectors, deprive people of their right to water.

So how can we heed Nikte’s call?

Acting requires international efforts, including by the United Nations and its Member States. While the Water Conference is an important step, States must move beyond voluntary commitments and political declarations. The time for action and for States to fulfill their obligations under international law is long overdue. This includes implementation of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment at national level. We also call on States to negotiate on and adopt a treaty to regulate and hold to account transnational corporations and other businesses to adequately address violations of the rights to water and to sanitation in the context of by business activities.

Accordingly, businesses should also answer Nikte’s call, including through implementing human rights and environmental due diligence. In this area, we are encouraged by some valuable initiatives, such as the development of the mega-project cycle by Leo Heller, the former UN Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation, as a tool that can help strengthen the resilience of affected communities as they claim their rights and seek to prevent the risks stemming these projects. Similarly, Pedro Arrojo, the current Special Rapporteur, has identified sustainable practices in managing water systems by Indigenous Peoples, that serve as a template for others.

We must continue to hear from Nikte and other voices from the ground. While water is a universal necessity, it is clear that the impacts of climate change, as well as other causes of water scarcity and pollution, are inequitable. We must finally act upon “leaving no one behind.”

Events co-sponsored by Franciscans International during UN Water Conference

Scoping Solidarity: Societal Dialogues for Water Justice
21 March 2023, 15:00-17:00 EST, in-person.
Extractives on Water and the Environment: Protecting and Accountability through a Human Rights Framework, 23 March 2023, 14:00-15:00 EST, online.

Hearing the Unheard: Human Rights to Water & Sanitation
23 March 2023, 15:00-16:30 EST, online.

The Human Rights Council will convene from 27 February to 4 April. During the session, we will raise various human rights situations and concerns shared by our partners at the grassroots.

You can find all our statements below. This page will be updated throughout the session.

• • •

End of Session: Key outcomes and missed opportunities (4 April)

In a final join statement, we reflected on the key outcomes and challenges of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council. Among other issues, we welcomed the adoption by consensus of a resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Nevertheless, we also expressed our concerns over ongoing attempts by some States to question whether this is indeed a universal right, despite its recognition by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. We further raised the role of civil society in the Council’s deliberations, which continue to be restricted after the emergency measures adopted because of Covid-19. In particular, we called for the continuation of hybrid modalities, allowing for remote participation for those that are unable to travel to Geneva.

• Full statement (English)

Item 6: Universal Periodic Review – Brazil (28 March)

During the adoption of Brazil’s UPR, we welcomed the support of all recommendations related to the right to a healthy environment, the right to water, and those related to mining activities. This is a key step considering the regressive measures, laws, and policies adopted in recent year. However, we also called on the government to take quick and proactive action to implement them, while ensuring that victims of human rights violations, especially those resulting from business activities, are guaranteed an effective remedy.

• Full statement (English and Portuguese)

Item 6 Universal Periodic Review – the Philippines (27 March)

In a joint statement, we welcomed the acceptance of important recommendations regarding the protection of human rights defenders and the commitment to investigate cases of extra-judicial killings. However, despite the change of narrative by the new administration, we remain concern about the gap between public discourse and the reality on the ground. During the adoption of the UPR, we raised several recent cases from the Philippines and reiterated our call to establish an international mechanism to investigate cases related to the “war on drugs” policy.

• Full statement (English)

Item 6: Universal Periodic Review – Indonesia (27 March)

Although Indonesia accepted five recommendations related to the human rights situation in West Papua, five others were only noted, including one regarding a visit by the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In a joint statement, we called for the swift implementation of recommendations relating to the protection of human rights defenders and to ending impunity for human rights violations. We reiterated that the human rights situation urgently needs a sustainable solution that can only be achieved through a peaceful and inclusive dialogue and by ensuring accountability for all perpetrators of all human rights violations.

• Full statement (English)

Item 4: General Debate – Guatemala (22 March)

Attacks against human rights defenders in Guatemala have doubled in 2022. These aggressions against justice operators, journalists, Indigenous communities, and organizations and individuals who defend the right to land, territory, and a healthy environment are carried out with impunity and threaten democracy in the country. In a joint statement, we reiterated our call to the Council to use its preventive role before the human rights situation in Guatemala reaches a point of no return.

• Full statement (English and Spanish)

Item 4: General Debate – Sri Lanka (22 March)

Nearly four years after 269 people were killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, victims are still waiting for justice. Several official reports have not been fully published and none of the major recommendations that were published have been implemented. There has been no prosecution for criminal negligence of any state officials and no prosecution of the master minds responsible for the crimes. In a joint statement, we called on the Sri Lankan government to hold the perpetrators accountable. We further urged the UN High Commissioner for human rights to support international justice initiatives related to the Easter Sunday Bombings.

• Full statement (English)

Item 4: General Debate – Brazil (22 March)

While acknowledging the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples by the new administration in Brazil, we alerted the Council that Indigenous Peoples still suffer serious threats and attacks on their fundamental rights, lives, and territories. It is essential that the new government immediately resumes a demarcation policy to protect Indigenous lands and turns its promises into action. In a joint statement, we asked the Council to remain a vigilant attitude toward Brazil to ensure that the new administration makes concrete progress in guaranteeing the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples.

• Full statement (Spanish)

Item 3: General Debate – Mozambique (17 March)

A violent conflict and the slow onset of climate change have displaced more than 1 million people in Northern Mozambique. This multifaceted crisis has created acute food-insecurity with the situation especially dire in camps for internally displaced persons, where there is limited land and food aid available while housing has been destroyed by extreme weather events. We urged the Government of Mozambique and other UN Member States to comply with their international obligations, as well as to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in Cabo Delgado and the surrounding provinces.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment (10 March)

With our local partners, we witness that discrimination impairs women and girls’ enjoyment of the right to a healthy environment, as well as a range of other human rights. In turn, this deprives humanity of the potential and steward ship of half the population. In this statement, we brought two specific cases from the Solomon Islands and Mozambique to the attention of the Special Rapporteur. To protect the powerful role of women and girls as agents of change, we also called on the Council to acknowledge the recently recognized right to a healthy environment in its annual resolution on the topic, as well as in all relevant UN resolutions in the future.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to food – Guatemala (9 March)

In Guatemala, government policies mostly benefit agrobusinesses and extractive companies, while negatively impacting vulnerable populations. In a joint statement, we raised our concern over the implementation of extractive projects without prior consent of Indigenous Peoples, even though they are directly and negatively affected. We also raised the issue of plant biodiversity and loss of ancestral knowledge. Considering all this, we called the Council to urge Guatemala to adopt policies that address and alleviate threats to adequate food and promote food sovereignty.

• Full statement (English and Spanish)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing – Guatemala (9 March)

Guatemala is at risk of extreme weather events, aggravated by the climate change. In 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota left hundreds of people homeless or with severely damaged house. In a joined statement, we raised our concerns over forced evictions that are often carried out violently and without prior notification, without accommodating for resettlement measures. This situation disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples. During the Interactive Dialogue, we called on States to scale up the resources available to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to refrain from evictions that put people in even greater vulnerability.

• Full statement (English and Spanish)

Item 2: General Debate – Guatemala (8 March)

Guatemala is facing a human rights and rule of law crisis, aggravated by the weakening and co-optation of public institutions. There is widespread harassment and criminalization of human rights defenders, with more than 2.000 attacks documented in 2022. In a joint statement we called on the Council to use its preventive role before the situation reaches a point of no return and to urge Guatemala to guarantee judicial independence, to prevent and investigate attacks against human rights defenders and justice operators, and to guarantee a transparent electoral process.

• Full statement (English and Spanish)

_{Thumbnail: UN Photo / Pierre Albouy}

As Franciscans we know that violence and war must never be tolerated. We join the Ministers General of the Franciscan First Orders in their call for peace and stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our brothers and sisters that remain in the affected regions.

“These fact sheets are an important tool to support the work of indigenous people and human rights defenders’ activities. With these, they familiarize themselves with the vocabulary, design and formulation of recommendations emanating from different United Nations human rights mechanisms.”
Francisco Cali Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples

Our fact-sheets aim to support the work of indigenous activists and human rights defenders working on issues related to Indigenous Peoples. Franciscans International also hopes that they will serve as a tool to become familiar with the vocabulary, design and formulations coming from the different United Nations human rights mechanisms and that they will facilitate advocacy work at the national, regional, and international levels.

Each fact-sheet is dedicated to a different theme and contains a general description of the problem, some general and specific recommendations, and a section dedicated to other authoritative sources related to each issue.

While the recommendations are related to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of them can be adapted to address human rights situations more generally.

You can download the combined fact-sheets here. They are also available in Spanish, Portuguese and Q’eqchi, and cover the following topics:

Covid-19_and_Indigenous_Peoples Download


Access to health care and vaccines	General non-discrimination clause	Women and gender-based issues

Access to COVID-19 information	Free, prior and informed consent	Traditional medicine

Water and sanitation	Right to adequate food	Human rights defenders