Brasília, 8/12/2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - After 10 years of waiting, the International Labor Organization Convention 169 now goes into effect in Brazil. It will strengthen Indian rights by making changes in the way natural resources are protected on Indian reservations, ensuring that Indians get specialized education and defining national demarcation policy for Indian lands.

This week the ILO sponsored a public audience on the convention and its application in Brazil. The audience was attended by representatives of the Judiciary and Executive branches, and Indian leaders who drew up a document calling for the urgent implementation of the convention. The document is addressed to the United Nations and Brazilian authorities.

"Ratification of the Convention 169 is very important because it improves on Brazilian legislation dealing with the Indian," says Eduardo Almeida, the president of the Indian Foundation (Funai).

Meanwhile, the president of the Brazilian Indigenous Institute, Azelene Kaingaing, says she believes the new legislation, which includes recognition of Indian civil rights, will ensure that Indians can actively participate in public policy decisions. Kaingaing points out that existing legislation, the 1973 Indian Statute, considers Indians incapable of exercising civil responsibilities.

The audience held an extended discussion on Indian worker rights. According to Wilson Matos, a lawyer who is a member of the Kaioá tribe, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul some 16,000 Indians work under semi-slavery conditions. The Convention 169 will make it possible for the government to guarantee their labor rights and dignity. (AB)