EU Statement - EMRIP - 18th Item 3

EU Statement - EMRIP - 18th Item 3

Distinguished Members of the Expert Mechanism, distinguished Indigenous representatives,

In the context of the debate on Indigenous data, the European Union underscores its unwavering commitment to the rights of Indigenous Peoples as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and international human rights law. While data is not mentioned explicitly in UNDRIP, it is implicitly covered in a number of paragraphs. Data are a cultural, strategic and economic resources, the importance of which cannot be underestimated.

The EU has developed a comprehensive framework of policies and regulations related to data ownership, collection, access, use, and disaggregation. These policies aim to protect individual rights, promote innovation, and ensure fair competition in the digital economy. Our General Data Protection Regulation emphasizes data subject rights, including consent, access, and control - principles relevant in the context of discussion of Indigenous data as well. In its social and digital policies, for example under the Equality Data Initiative, the EU promotes disaggregation of data, so that the diversity of situations can be captured and analysed for equitable policy making. The EU Data Governance Act seeks to boost data sharing by regulating data intermediaries and by encouraging the sharing of data for altruistic purposes.

The EU is proud to provide financial support to launch and expand the Indigenous Navigator. It is a set of tools for Indigenous Peoples to systematically monitor the level of recognition and implementation of their rights. The Indigenous Navigator recognizes the need for Indigenous Peoples to own and manage the data that they collect and reinforces that they are the rightful owners of those data as a tool for governing themselves and their lands, territories and resources. The data and knowledge can be used as a powerful tool to engage with authorities to advocate for policies that respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Could the Expert Mechanism share remaining challenges as well as good practices in using artificial intelligence to collect and analyse data of Indigenous Peoples to their benefit?

I thank you.