United Nations General Assembly 80th Session
Third Committee: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples
Statement by Denmark together with Greenland on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States
New York, 13 October 2025
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic Baltic states: Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and my own country, Denmark together with Greenland.
We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s interim report on the identification, demarcation, registration and titling of Indigenous Peoples’ lands. We thank him for underscoring the unique and inherent, collective nature of Indigenous Peoples’ land rights, which are fundamental to the full realization of their human rights.
The report highlights ongoing inconsistencies in the recognition and implementation of these rights across regions. We are concerned that competing political and economic interests often impede effective legal protection and that Indigenous Peoples continue to face significant challenges in securing their land rights.
We also commend the Special Rapporteur’s call for robust support to human rights mechanisms, which play a critical role in advancing and safeguarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
We are deeply alarmed by the increasing criminalization and violence against Indigenous human rights defenders, particularly those defending their territories. The disproportionate and unacceptable impact on those defending their territories demands urgent attention.
Special Rapporteur, what are the most effective measures States can take to halt the criminalization and violence against Indigenous human rights defenders, and to strengthen human rights mechanisms to better protect them?
Thank you.
