A/69/267 Improving indigenous peoples’ conditions of work 66. Labour rights constitute a crucial yet often overlooked element of indigenous peoples’ economic rights, which is ironic given that initially it was the exploitation of indigenous workers that raised international concerns about the situation of indigenous peoples and led to the adoption of the first international instrument on their rights, ILO Convention No. 107 of 1957. All available data indicates that the exploitation of and discrimination against indigenous workers persist today. 22 Large numbers of indigenous peoples remain excluded from vocational training, employment opportunities and social protection. Many are trapped in the informal economy, often in precarious and low-paid jobs. 67. Pervasive discrimination against indigenous peoples in many places results in the failure to respect the value of skills related to traditional knowledge and indigenous identity, for example the ability to speak an indigenous language. In addition to the general discrimination against indigenous peoples in employment and occupations, they are particularly vulnerable to the most extreme forms of labour exploitation, such as hazardous labour conditions, child labour and forced labour. The latter includes: the bonded labour of indigenous peoples in several countries in South Asia; slavery-like practices in parts of Africa; and debt-bondage in parts of Latin America. Indigenous women and children face additional risks related to trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as exploitation in the context of domestic work. 68. Some progress has been made with regard to documenting the gross violations of indigenous peoples’ rights in the context of labour exploitation, including through forced and child labour, 23 and the ILO supervisory bodies have increasingly been addressing the labour conditions of indigenous workers under the relevant conventions. 24 However, this is an area where the Special Rapporteur sees the need for additional special measures to protect the most vulnerable individuals and groups. Such efforts could include the collaborative development of comprehensive action plans between Governments, indigenous organizations, workers ’ and employers’ organizations and others; information dissemination and awareness raising in indigenous languages; economic e mpowerment of particularly vulnerable groups; and support to victims. 69. The Special Rapporteur draws attention to the precarious situation of the numerous indigenous women, particularly from Latin America and Asia, who serve as domestic workers, either in their home countries or as migrant workers. __________________ 22 23 24 18/23 See Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues, thematic paper towards the preparation of the World Conference on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, “Indigenous peoples’ access to decent work and social protection”, June 2014. See Bedoya Silva-Santisteban and Bedoya Garlan, working documents: El trabajo forzoso en la extracción de la madera en la Amazonía Peruana; Enganche y servidumbre por deudas en Bolivia; Servidumbre por deudas y marginación en el chaco de Paraguay; ILO, 2005; Guidelines for combating child labour among indigenous and tribal peoples, ILO, 2006; United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, mission to Paraguay, report and recommendations, 2009, available at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/ UNPFII_Mission_Report_Paraguay_EN.pdf; United Nations Permanent For um on Indigenous Issues, mission to Bolivia, report and recommendations, 2009, available at: http://www.un.org/ esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/UNPFII_Mission_Report_Bolivia%20_EN.pdf. The comments of the ILO supervisory bodies are available at the ILO ’s NOMRLEX database at www.ilo/normlex. 14-58847