E/CN.4/2003/90/Add.3 page 13 28. However, the Special Rapporteur noted that indigenous knowledge systems, particularly those regarding environmental management and the subsistence economy, have come under increasing pressure from outside economic forces in recent years. Indigenous communities are justly proud of their traditional knowledge and concerned about its preservation and protection. This is part of their cultural integrity, considered to be an important and justiciable human right. Therefore, the intellectual property of indigenous peoples should be a matter of high priority at all times. IV. MAJOR HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES FOR PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 29. The major human rights issues faced by indigenous peoples in the Philippines are closely linked to various underlying economic, social and political factors. Widespread poverty among the indigenous peoples is related to the land issue and to the unevenly distributed benefits of the economic development process. Social and political unrest in rural areas has also led to civil armed conflict in various parts of the country. The following human rights issues and problems deserve special mention. A. Resource management and sustainable development 30. The land rights problem is closely related to the issues surrounding economic development strategies as they affect the areas in which indigenous peoples live. Numerous indigenous communities have taken advantage of new economic opportunities provided by changes in productive activities, adjusting their lifestyles accordingly. Others, however, have felt the negative impacts on their lives of such changes, which frequently occur without their prior consent. Many communities resist being forced or pressured into development projects that destroy their traditional economy, community structures and cultural values, a process aptly described as “development aggression”. 31. Serious human rights violations have been reported to the Special Rapporteur regarding the implications for indigenous communities of economic activities such as logging, mining, multi-purpose dams, commercial plantations and other development projects. Of particular concern have been the long-term effects on the environment and the livelihood of indigenous peoples of open-pit mining, and the expansion of existing mining operations. Sometimes, the effects appear to have been catastrophic for the people concerned, and entire areas are reported to have been devastated without regard to the wishes and rights of indigenous communities. Special attention should be given to the pollution and deterioration of the supply of fresh water for human consumption and agricultural activities in some areas. 32. Legal safeguards such as those referring to the free, prior and informed consent, as well as the requirement of environmental impact and assessment studies before undertaking development projects, are recognized in principle. The Special Rapporteur noted, however, that indigenous peoples’ concerns are generally not given due attention, and that powerful economic and political interests prevail over their legitimate rights. Sometimes, officials argue that because no ancestral domains claim was filed this “proved” the absence of claimants or rights