Jeremy Browne, MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH

28 September 2011

Dear Jeremy,

I am writing on behalf of a number of constituents who want to know why the Government has not ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention 169. As you may know, the convention is a legally binding international instrument open to ratification, which deals specifically with the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. Since 1990, ILO 169 has been ratified by 20 countries.

I understand that previous Governments have said that, because there are no tribal or indigenous peoples in the UK, there is no need for this country to ratify the convention. However, I ask you to reconsider this position, since it is clear that UK interests, particularly commercial interests, do impact directly on tribal and indigenous peoples in other countries. One high profile example is Shell's activities in Nigeria's Ogoniland region, where it has accepted responsibility for two devastating oil spills that destroyed the environment and ruined the livelihood of the Bodo fishing community.

I hope, therefore, that this Government will take the long overdue step of ratifying ILO convention 169. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion

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