Photo: UN WebTV
In a statement delivered during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, Cressida Kuala, a human rights defender from Porgera Red Wara (River) Women's Association in Papua New Guinea, urged the Council to ensure that development projects in the affected communities are based on genuine partnership, co-ownership and benefit sharing. Read and watch the full statement below.
I speak from the heart of the Porgera Red Wara (River) Women’s Association, from the remote gold mining-affected local communities in the Porgera District of Enga Province in Papua New Guinea.
Our message to this Panel from the South Pacific region is simple:
A ‘just transition’ to sustainable energy must not become a new form of green colonialism on our lands. For decades, we have lived with the devastating impacts of mining. We have watched our sacred river turn red with toxic waste, our people kill each other fighting over land, and our communities suffer. This experience has taught us that any development, including for critical minerals, is only just if it is led by us.
Our customary land rights are our lifeblood. We demand that any new project—from renewable energy to mineral extraction—be subject to our Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). This means genuine partnership, co-ownership and benefit sharing, not just consultation.
Our traditional knowledge is essential for protecting our land and biodiversity, and it must be at the core of all planning. A truly just transition will recognise us as equal partners and leaders in the fight for a sustainable future, not as victims of past and future exploitation.
To the panel: Which measures should be taken to protect Indigenous Peoples and defenders who are at the forefront in the context of the just transition?
Thank you.
Indigenous women human rights defenders (WHRDs) and women safeguarding land and community rights from across the globe gathered in Geneva from 22 to 26 September to take part in the Women Human Rights Advocacy Week (WHRD-AW) 2025.
Activists participating in the Women's Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Week responded to a call for submissions by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders that sought to 'bring the voice of human rights defenders' to the Human Rights Council.
The 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council will consider issues including acts of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, systemic racism, environment and climate justice, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent. It will also present an opportunity to address grave human rights situations in States including Afghanistan, Burundi, China, Israel/oPt, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan and Venezuela, and many others. Here's an overview of some of the key issues on the agenda.
