On April 28, 2025, President of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Mario Hastings, delivered a statement on Agenda Item 5.d—‘Human rights dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples’ at the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.
In his statement, the APA President said that Indigenous governance systems should remain free from political interference and be allowed to function independently.
Read his full presentation below:
I am proud to represent the Amerindian Peoples Association, a community-led NGO of Indigenous Peoples from across Guyana. Accurate representation matters, and in my country, the government condemns any organisation that seeks to truthfully speak about the struggles of Indigenous Peoples as subversive and illegitimate. This has created an environment of intimidation and division as it disrupts our people’s governance systems and culture.
Chair, our traditional bodies like District Councils are often sidelined by the government and labelled as illegal to sow disunity among us. Our government has even stalled the formalisation of these bodies, despite our repeated submissions to move this process forward.
The government interferes in the governance systems of our communities, and when they are met with resistance, support to our communities is withheld. This cripples our right to self-determination, undermines our visions for using our resources, and weakens our ability to manage our territories.
The Amerindian Act of Guyana gives overreaching powers to the government in the administration of Indigenous Peoples’ affairs and governance systems. Just about one month ago, the Minister of Amerindian Affairs participated in the signing ceremony with a mining company in the Rupununi Savannah. This was done without consultation from the villages of this area.
Chair, the Rupununi Savannah comprises Indigenous communities that rely on its biodiversity to sustain their livelihoods and that project threatened their environment, health and economy. The project would not have been halted had it not been for protests from the residents and communities of this region. This is just one example of how commercial interests are prioritised over our rights.
Chair, we call on the Government of Guyana to recognise our District Councils, especially those that are awaiting official gazetting by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.We also call on this Forum to encourage our government to respect the traditional governance systems of our peoples, and refrain from divisive rhetoric that undermines the administration of our territories.
The disregard of our governance systems not only impacts our sustainable livelihoods, but can be detrimental to the preservation of our culture. Our cultures still face many challenges for their future survival. The nine Indigenous nations in Guyana speak distinct languages, yet are at risk of extinction due to internal migration, no access to interpretive services at government agencies, and limited education on the value that they have in our development.
We call on our government to recognise the intangible importance of our languages, through their mainstreaming in national programmes, education initiatives, and in the functions of government institutions. Such measures can foster initiatives that preserve our knowledge systems for future generations, and strengthen our Indigenous identity.
The APA reiterates our calls for the revision of the Amerindian Act and associated laws to bring them in line with the UNDRIP. Taking this action will protect our traditional governance systems, and guide our development in ways that are consistent with our culture while respecting our right to FPIC.
END