INTERPRETATIVE NOTE NO. 2
OF THE STATE OF COLOMBIA WITH RESPECT
TO ARTICLE XIII, PARAGRAPH 2; ARTICLE XVI,
PARAGRAPH 3; ARTICLE XX, PARAGRAPH 2; AND
ARTICLE XXXI, PARAGRAPH 1, OF THE AMERICAN
DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES
As regards the idea of sacred sites and objects referred
to in Article XIII, paragraph 2; Article XVI, paragraph 3;
Article XX, paragraph 2; and Article XXXI, paragraph 1,
of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, the Colombian State expressly declares that the
determination and regulation of indigenous peoples’ sacred
sites and objects is to be governed by developments
attained at the national level. This is because there is
no internationally accepted definition and neither ILO
Convention No. 169 nor the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples makes reference to or
defines those terms.
Colombia has been making progress with the regulation of
the issue, which has involved and will continue to involve
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