Supreme Court of Belize, on October 18, quoted the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples to justify its decision upholding 2 Mayan villages rights to their traditional lands
University of Arizona Communications – 18 October 2007
BELMOPAN, BELIZE: The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Belize has voted to uphold rights to the land traditionally held by indigenous groups. The Maya communities of Conejo and Santa Cruz in April had filed cases – which were heard jointly in June – alleging that two government entities did not acknowledge their customary land rights. The case affects nearly 40 Maya villages in southern Belize. The villages argued that the attorney general of Belize and the minister of Natural Resources and Environment violated their rights by approving logging and oil exploration on traditional Maya lands. Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh delivered his decision Thursday, affirming that Belize is obligated by the constitution, international treaty and customary law – including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – to both respect and protect Maya customary lands. In fact, it is the first judgment applied specifically to the United Nations’ declaration, which was adopted Sept. 13 by the U.N. General Assembly. Read the article…
