Miulang
September 14th, 2007, 10:56 AM
The UN General Assembly yesterday voted to support the world's indigenous people in a 143 to 4 adoption of the "Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2007/09/14/news/news7.txt)". Not surprisingly, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia---all countries with significant indigenous populations---voted against adoption of the resolution. Another 11 nations abstained from voting.
The official message (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10613.doc.htm)from the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues:
...Through the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations marks a major victory in its long history towards developing and establishing international human rights standards. It marks a major victory for indigenous peoples who actively took part in crafting this Declaration. The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as an international human rights day for the indigenous peoples of the world, a day that the United Nations and its Member States, together with indigenous peoples, reconciled with past painful histories and decided to march into the future on the path of human rights.
I hail representatives of indigenous peoples who patiently exerted extraordinary efforts for more than two decades to draft and negotiate the Declaration. This Declaration has the distinction of being the only Declaration in the United Nations which was drafted with the rights-holders, themselves, the indigenous peoples. I hail the independent experts and representatives of States and NGOs [non-governmental organizations] who contributed actively to this process. This magnificent endeavour which brought you to sit together with us, indigenous peoples, to listen to our cries and struggles and to hammer out words which will respond to these is unprecedented.
The long time devoted to the drafting of the Declaration by the United Nations stemmed from the conviction that indigenous peoples have rights as distinct peoples and that a constructive dialogue among all would eventually lead to a better understanding of diverse worldviews and cultures, a realignment of positions and, finally, to the building of partnerships between States and indigenous peoples for a more just and sustainable world.
For the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Declaration will become the major foundation and reference in implementing its mandate to advise members of the Economic and Social Council and the United Nations agencies, programmes and funds on indigenous peoples’ human rights and development. It is a key instrument and tool for raising awareness on and monitoring progress of indigenous peoples’ situations and the protection, respect and fulfilment of indigenous peoples’ rights. It will further enflesh and operationalize the human rights-based approach to development as it applies to indigenous peoples. It will be the main framework to guide States, United Nations bodies, indigenous peoples and civil society in making the theme of the Second Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, “Partnership for Action and Dignity”, a reality.
Miulang
The official message (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10613.doc.htm)from the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues:
...Through the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations marks a major victory in its long history towards developing and establishing international human rights standards. It marks a major victory for indigenous peoples who actively took part in crafting this Declaration. The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as an international human rights day for the indigenous peoples of the world, a day that the United Nations and its Member States, together with indigenous peoples, reconciled with past painful histories and decided to march into the future on the path of human rights.
I hail representatives of indigenous peoples who patiently exerted extraordinary efforts for more than two decades to draft and negotiate the Declaration. This Declaration has the distinction of being the only Declaration in the United Nations which was drafted with the rights-holders, themselves, the indigenous peoples. I hail the independent experts and representatives of States and NGOs [non-governmental organizations] who contributed actively to this process. This magnificent endeavour which brought you to sit together with us, indigenous peoples, to listen to our cries and struggles and to hammer out words which will respond to these is unprecedented.
The long time devoted to the drafting of the Declaration by the United Nations stemmed from the conviction that indigenous peoples have rights as distinct peoples and that a constructive dialogue among all would eventually lead to a better understanding of diverse worldviews and cultures, a realignment of positions and, finally, to the building of partnerships between States and indigenous peoples for a more just and sustainable world.
For the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Declaration will become the major foundation and reference in implementing its mandate to advise members of the Economic and Social Council and the United Nations agencies, programmes and funds on indigenous peoples’ human rights and development. It is a key instrument and tool for raising awareness on and monitoring progress of indigenous peoples’ situations and the protection, respect and fulfilment of indigenous peoples’ rights. It will further enflesh and operationalize the human rights-based approach to development as it applies to indigenous peoples. It will be the main framework to guide States, United Nations bodies, indigenous peoples and civil society in making the theme of the Second Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, “Partnership for Action and Dignity”, a reality.
Miulang