Role Played By The ILO In Making The Sustainable Development Goals A Reality For Indigenous People

Neethu S.T, Research Scholar, Department of Law, University of Kerala

Introduction

The Sustainable Development Goals are based on a vision of transforming our planet. They want to create a society free of poverty, starvation, and disease, where every woman and girl has complete gender equality, the environment is safeguarded, and everyone has access to a great education and good job. This will be a more inclusive, sustainable, peaceful, and affluent society, devoid of prejudice based on race, ethnicity, cultural identity, or handicap. These are just a few aspects of an ambitious and global vision that has been accepted with the pledge that "no one will be left behind."

This vision is vital for the world's almost 370 million indigenous peoples, many of whom have historically suffered tremendous injustices and continue to confront marginalization, exploitation, and exclusion. Despite significant progress in poverty elimination, indigenous peoples remain among the poorest of the poor. Their traditional ways of life, livelihoods, and traditions are under threat from a variety of sources, including a lack of acknowledgment and protection of their rights, discriminatory state policies, and the effects of climate change. A confluence of concerns, including loss of access to traditional lands and natural resources, workplace discrimination, forced migration, and limited access to opportunities, has made them even more susceptible to social situations. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework provides a historic opportunity to address such issues and ensure that indigenous peoples too are not left behind.