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Who are indigenous peoples?
There is no internationally agreed definition of indigenous peoples. In practice at the international level, the term includes a very wide variety of human societies including the 'native' and 'aboriginal' peoples of the Americas and the Pacific, the 'tribal peoples' and 'minority nationalities' of Asia and many non-dominant and discriminated ethnic groups in Africa. Indigenous peoples themselves insist on the principle of self-identification and see efforts to impose definitions on them as an affront to their right to self-determination. The principle of self-identification has been accepted by the International Labour Organisation (Convention 169 Article 1(2)) and by the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

How many forests are owned or managed by indigenous peoples?
Global data are lacking on the extent to which forests are owned or claimed by indigenous peoples. They inhabit the majority of tropical forests, including mangroves, and also range over, use, own or claim very large proportions of boreal and temperate forests. The absence of reliable, comprehensive information about these peoples and the extent of their territories is just another result of their persistent marginalisation in forestry policies and practice.

Based on the International Labour Organisation's estimate, there are some 300 million indigenous people worldwide. They speak as many as 4,000 of the world's approximately 6,000 languages. The World Bank has estimated that some 60 million of these live in forests. However, as the numbers of peoples self-identifying as 'indigenous' is rapidly increasing in Asia and Africa, the estimates are already out of date.

A report by CIFOR and forest trends (Making markets work for forest communities, 2002) states that a transition is underway with regard to ownership and control of developing countries' forests. Rural communities and indigenous people are successfully asserting control over forestland, now owning or officially administering at least 25 percent of the developing world's forests – nearly 300 million hectares (741 million acres). That trend is expected to accelerate over the next several years. However, despite their holdings, local communities often do not have authority to fully use and capitalize on their forest assets. Still, nearly one fourth of the forest estate in the most forested countries in the South is now owned (14%) or officially administered (8%) by indigenous and rural communities, as a result of recent government recognition of local claims and devolution.

What rights do indigenous peoples have?
Indigenous peoples are distinctive from other forest peoples insofar as they are recognised by international law and by some states as autonomous seats of power within the state. They are recognised as exercising collective rights as groups. In many countries special laws and policies establish their distinctive status and rights. International law recognises their rights inter alia to:
• the ownership, control and management of their traditional territories, lands and resources.
• exercise their customary law
• represent themselves through their own institutions
• control, and share in the benefits of the use of, their traditional knowledge
• self-determination.

The briefing note, Legal briefing 1: CBD, State Sovereignty & Indigenous Peoples' Rights (November 2001, , 28k), provides more detailed information on forest peoples' rights.

Actual state policies towards indigenous peoples vary greatly. In general, African states tend to deny the relevance of 'tribal' identities and institutions, which are seen as obstacles to nation-building. In Asia, indigenous peoples are commonly seen as 'backward' and national policies are primarily orientated to promote the rapid assimilation or integration of indigenous peoples into the national mainstream, by re-education, resettlement and the prohibition of traditional cultural and religious practices. In some countries, as in India, a policy of positive discrimination is adopted, reserving quotas in education and administration for indigenous peoples. More recently, especially in Latin America, governments are beginning to accept the multi-ethnic nature of states and are adopting policies promoting cultural tolerance, bilingual education, regional autonomy and collective territorial ownership and control by indigenous peoples, including Afro-Americans.

Based on "Forest Industries, Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights" a thematic paper for a workshop on indigenous peoples private sector natural resource, energy and mining companies and human rights, prepared by Marcus Colchester of the Forest Peoples Programme, December 2001, and Making markets work for forest communities by Scherr, Andy White and David Kaimowitz from CIFOR and Forest Trends. See www.forestpeoples.org and http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/ for more information.