Joint statement to the UN missions
United Nations General Assembly, New York
Agenda Item 68 of the Third Committee, November 16, 2006
UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples
Joint statement to the UN missions
As non-governmental organisations working in the field of human rights, we have seen time and again that the promise of universal respect for and protection of human rights remains unfulfilled for the world’s Indigenous peoples. We witness in every region of the world, Indigenous peoples suffering gross violations of their fundamental human rights as the consequence of systemic discrimination, historic injustices and ongoing marginalization.
We join Indigenous representatives in the conviction that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is ready for adoption at the General Assembly. The proposed text was adopted by the Human Rights Council in June of 2006 and is the culmination of lengthy and exhaustive deliberations among States and Indigenous peoples. Given the broad support among States, as well as Indigenous peoples, there is no justification for any further delay.
For these reasons, we fully support the resolution submitted by the Government of Peru and the co-sponsors, calling for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We are calling on states not to pursue short term political interests by posing options which would undermine the confidence of Indigenous peoples, and the agreement reached with them, in the course of the more than two decades worth of the negotiations on the Declaration. We urge the member States to seize this historic opportunity to ensure that the Declaration is adopted without delay by the Third Committee and the General Assembly. A reopening of Discussions at this late stage would not allow for greater consensus and would only put at further risk already marginalized peoples.
By adopting the Declaration, the United Nations will strengthen the whole universal human rights system by setting crucial standards for the survival, dignity and well-being for the world’s Indigenous peoples.
Signed by the following Non governmental organizations
Common Frontiers ( Canada)
International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs
Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples
Forest Peoples Programme
Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
Cultural Survival
La Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos "Todos los
derechos para todas y todos" de México
International Funders For Indigenous Peoples
Rights&Democracy
International Service for Human Rights
Amazon Watch
Cejil
Comisión Mexicana De Derechos Humanos
Centro de Documentación « Segundo Montes Mozo » (Ecuador)
Foro de Mujeres del Mercosur
Agora (Perú)
Oficina Jurídica Para la Mujer de la ciudad de Cochabamba - Bolivia (ONG de defensa de los derechos humanos de las mujeres)
Comité Latinoamericano Para la Defensa de los Derechos de las Mujeres (CLADEM - BOLIVIA)
Rainforest Action Network
Inter Pares
Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’homme (FIDH)
Amnesty International
La Ligue des droits et libertés
Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Amazon Alliance
Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Centro Nicaraguense de Derechos Humanos (CENIDH)
Centro de Estudios legales y sociales (CELS) (Argentina)
Justicia Global (Brazil)
Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (Perú)
Comité de Latinoamerica y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer (CLADEM)
For More Information
Please contact Steve Smith (ext 255) or Louis Moubarak (ext 261) at Rights & Democracy, 514-283-6073.
