Report Emphasizes Unique Status of Indigenous Peoples, “Toxic” Policies, Rights to Self-determination

Aug. 28, 2008 - The World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) released its final report on global health.

Woven throughout the document, "Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health," is a call to recognize the unique status of Indigenous peoples when addressing the social determinants of global health.

"Regaining personal and cultural continuity has massive implications for the health and well-being of [Indigenous] communities," the report states. The Commission's report asserts that closing the health gaps within and among countries in a single generation is achievable.

Established in 2006, the work of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health supports countries and global health partners to address the social factors leading to ill health and inequities. These determinants include unemployment, unsafe workplaces, urban slums, globalization and lack of access to health systems.

The NCCAH coordinated the participation of Canada's Aboriginal peoples into the work of the CSDH, and facilitated Indigenous representation at an international symposium in Adelaide, Australia in 2007 that helped inform the Commission's findings.

"Toxic" Effects of Policies

The report makes note of the "toxic" effects on Indigenous Peoples of unique policies, laws and regulations that apply to no other members of civil states.  It states that Indigenous People "continue to live on bounded or segregated lands and are often at the heart of jurisdictional divides between levels of government, particularly in areas concerning access to financial allocations, programmes, and services. As such, Indigenous Peoples have distinct status and specific needs relative to others."

Among the report's recommendations is a call for national government to acknowledge, legitimize, and support marginalized groups, in particular Indigenous Peoples, in policy, legislation, and programs that empower people to represent their needs, claims, and rights.

Ratification of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The Commission also urges ratification and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada  was one of four countries that in 2007 voted against adoption of the proposal by the UN General Assembly; 143 countries voted in favour and 11 countries abstained. The Declaration states Indigenous Peoples have the right to "special measures for immediate and continuing improvement of their economic and social conditions, including in the areas of employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security."

The Commission warns that "Indigenous People worldwide are in jeopardy of irrevocable loss of land, language, culture, and livelihood, without their consent or control."

Addressing Indigenous Health

In the course of its work, the Commission raised three questions in relation to Indigenous health:

• What actions on the social determinants of Indigenous health would mitigate risk conditions and improve health outcomes for Indigenous people globally?
• What examples are there of successful action on the social determinants of health that have resulted in positive outcomes for the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples?
• What policies concerning the social determinants of health are most likely to be effective in improving the health of Indigenous peoples?