Chair. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

1. The EU and its Member States are committed to the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights. We promote universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions and support the ILO in developing and promoting international labour standards and supervising their application. 

2. We deplore the climate of violence, insecurity and intimidation in Nicaragua including persistence of violence between communities and attacks by colonists on the life and physical integrity of indigenous communities in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. We note the Committee of Experts’ findings that the violence occurs as a result of disputes related to land occupation, and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s concerns that the uncertainty about the legal title to indigenous lands has led to disputes and violence over access to land. We also support the Committee of Experts’ request to the authorities of Nicaragua to continue their efforts to clarify legal title to indigenous lands and resolve disputes. 

3. We are deeply concerned by the reports of murders, disappearances and injuries in connection with land disputes as well as reports of physical, psychological and sexual violence against indigenous women including abuses within the communities. We recall that such a climate, and socio-cultural factors contributing to ‘normalisation of violence’, constitute serious obstacles to the exercise of the rights of indigenous peoples set out in Convention No 169. We call on the authorities of Nicaragua to take all necessary actions to ensure a climate free from violence and to investigate all acts of violence, including those committed in the areas inhabited by indigenous peoples and to prosecute those responsible. 

4. We note with concern the allegations that indigenous authorities elected in community assemblies are not recognised by the national authorities and that parallel bodies would have been set up to replace legitimate local authorities, allegedly in order to influence consultation procedures and facilitate usurpation of territories. We are also concerned that indigenous peoples face obstacles to participate in decision-making bodies and state institutions, especially in communal governments and indigenous territorial governments. We call on the authorities of Nicaragua to clarify the situation and ensure coordinated action with the participation of indigenous peoples through their representative institutions in policies that affect them. We encourage them to cooperate with the ILO supervisory bodies, including by providing the requested information in a timely and transparent manner. 

5. The recent notice of Nicaragua’s intention to withdraw from the Organisation is a negative development. We regret this decision and continue to encourage Nicaragua to reconsider it. However, we wish to remind that Nicaragua remains the ILO Member until the withdrawal enters into force in February 2027 and that it will be bound by Convention No. 169 even after that date. We urge Nicaragua to take all the necessary steps to meet the obligations to which it has voluntarily committed itself to by ratifying Convention No. 169. 

Thank you, Chair.