E/CN.4/2004/80/Add.3 page 20 53. Despite the country’s rapid economic growth, there is still a large gap between Chilean society in general and native peoples. There is a need for innovative mechanisms that use dialogue to resolve inter-ethnic conflicts, with the aim of achieving proper recognition of the cultural, political and territorial rights of native peoples. The latter want to be beneficiaries and partners in the country’s development process, not its victims. The Ralco project for the hydroelectric plant in Alto Bíobío, for example, has been a classic example of how the human rights of indigenous peoples can be violated if those rights are not taken into account by either the construction and operating company or public institutions from the very conception of such mega-projects. 54. All the facts cited above stem mainly from the as yet unresolved conflict over land ownership and the access to and exploitation of natural resources. The indigenous peoples of Chile saw the Indigenous Peoples Act as a step forward that would meet their demands and allow them to identify their natural resources in terms of the ground, subsoil, water, lakesides, rivers and the coastline. The Act was to be an excellent tool for protecting the indigenous territorial heritage and ensuring that the wishes of indigenous communities were respected. However, the application of certain sectoral laws, such as those on water, fisheries and mining, has weakened the expected impact of the Indigenous Peoples Act in this respect, inspiring a good deal of scepticism in the communities. 55. Throughout this process, the role of the media has been crucial. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur observed how the media deal with the still burning topic of past violations of human rights in Chile but pay little attention to indigenous people’s human rights. Mapuche organizations complain that the press and broadcast media do not give them the same coverage as they do the “powers that be”, and consider that this situation violates their human right to information. In this context, the Special Rapporteur believes that, now that the press has recovered its freedom in Chile, the media have a duty to put forward an objective and balanced view of such important issues as the struggle for the human rights of indigenous peoples. V. RECOMMENDATIONS 56. The current situation of the indigenous peoples of Chile requires the urgent attention not only of the Government but also of all political groups and society in general. Although significant progress has been made on indigenous questions in the country in the last 10 years, indigenous people continue to live in a situation of marginalization and denial that leaves them cut off in significant ways from the rest of the country. A. Recommendations to the Government Legislation 57. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Chilean Congress to adopt the proposed constitutional reform on indigenous matters as soon as possible. 58. He also recommends the prompt ratification of ILO Convention No. 169, as well as of other international conventions that guarantee the human rights of indigenous people.