E/CN.4/2002/97 page 24 Numerous statements made by indigenous representatives at the WGIP over the years, and other information gathered by independent research bodies, confirm this tendency. For instance, the Committee on Indigenous Health of the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus expressed its concern at the nineteenth session of the WGIP that the gap between the health of indigenous peoples and the rest of society is widening, despite all efforts by national Governments and international agencies. It is also worried about the effects on indigenous peoples of the global health fund recently set up by the Group of Eight.29 82. What has been done and what can be done? For many decades national Governments, multilateral funding agencies, non-governmental organizations and private businesses have designed and implemented development projects at the local and regional levels in order to promote the economic and social development of indigenous communities. Whilst Convention 169 states in article 7, paragraph 1: “The peoples concerned shall have the right to decide their own priorities for the process of development as it affects their lives, beliefs, institutions and spiritual well-being and the lands they occupy or otherwise use, and to exercise control, to the extent possible, over their own economic, social and cultural development”, unfortunately, for multiple reasons, this does not always occur. 83. Recent experience has shown that economic growth must go hand in hand with social concerns if the results are to be effective and make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. A new approach seems to be taking hold in international discourse: human rights-centred sustainable development, meaning that unless development can be shown to improve the livelihoods of people within the framework of the respect for human rights, it will not produce the desired results. This approach may be of particular importance for indigenous peoples whose human rights have frequently been neglected, when not actually impaired, by traditional economic development approaches. 84. There is much international debate on these issues, and it is useful to place the human rights concerns of indigenous people into this frame of reference. Particularly relevant to this topic is the report of the nineteenth session of the WGIP, held in July 2001 (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/17), which was devoted to a discussion of the right to development and its implications for indigenous people. A review of the numerous statements made by government delegates and representatives of indigenous peoples and NGOs at that session points to the serious concerns expressed about human rights issues in the process of development.30 The Special Rapporteur intends to look more closely at a number of development projects in order to assess to what extent and how the human rights of the indigenous communities involved are being taken into account and respected in development strategies. 6. Political representation, autonomy, self-determination 85. Indigenous self-organization has made considerable progress over the years. From the local level to the regional, national and international levels indigenous peoples’ associations have become social and political actors in their own right, as witnessed by their continuing participation in the yearly sessions of the WGIP. They speak with many voices, but on the fundamental issues of their human rights, their objectives and their aspirations they are usually in remarkable agreement. In some countries they are now recognized as legitimate partners and interlocutors of Governments and other social sectors on the national scene. In other countries