UN asked to approve indigenous rights declaration (fwd)

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UN asked to approve indigenous rights declaration

The Philippine Star 05/28/2006
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200605280404.htm

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Indigenous groups from around the world called for
UN approval of a declaration on indigenous rights despite opposition
from the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

At the end of a two-week meeting, 1,200 native leaders representing more
than 370 million indigenous people in 70 countries on Friday approved a
final report urging the General Assembly at its next session starting
in September to adopt the draft declaration.

The declaration, the culmination of more than 20 years of work, states
that indigenous peoples have the right to their own identity, culture
and language, and to self-determination. It says governments should
respect their rights to traditional lands and resources, and it states
that native peoples have the right to decide on any development project
in their community.

In a joint statement, the US, Australia and New Zealand called the
proposed text "fundamentally flawed" and said any attempt to seek UN
endorsement "would be disingenuous and irresponsible" and would
"potentially undermine the cause of advancing human rights
internationally."

The three countries protested that self-determination could threaten
"the political unity, territorial integrity and indeed the security of
existing UN member states." They called the provisions on lands and
resources "particularly unworkable and unacceptable" because they
appear to require recognition of indigenous rights to lands now
lawfully owned by other citizens.

The proposed declaration was negotiated for 11 years by a working group
in the UN Human Rights Commission which reached an agreement in
February, just before the discredited body was about to become defunct.
The indigenous leaders called on the new Human Rights Council, which
replaced it, to endorse the declaration and send it to the General
Assembly.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues, said the declaration’s adoption is supported by the
European Union, a group of Scandinavian countries, parts of Asia and
almost all countries in Latin America.

The declaration would strengthen the indigenous peoples movement "both
on the ground and globally," she said. "Even if it’s not legally
binding, it still has a moral power to make the governments agree and
adhere to the basic rights that are recognized internationally."

Tauli-Corpuz, executive director of the Tebtebba Foundation in the
Philippines which promotes research and education on indigenous people,
said the final report also calls on the new Human Rights Council to
provide more resources for the UN special investigator on indigenous
issues and to allow the forum to participate on issues related to its
work.

The forum also requested an immediate suspension of a project to collect
and analyze genetic samples from 100,000 indigenous people around the
globe, according to Debra Harry, a Northern Paiute activist from Nevada
who heads the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism.