Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

De **Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples** (**UNDRIP** anaa **DOTROIP**) be a legally non-binding United Nations resolution passed by de United Nations insyd 2007 dat delineates den define de individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, wey include ein ownership rights, cultural and ceremonial expression, identity, language, employment, health, education, den oda issues. Ein ownership sanso extend to de protection of ein Indigenous intellectual property. De declaration "emphasizes de rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain den strengthen ein own institutions, cultures den traditions, den to pursue ein development insyd keeping plus ein own needs den aspirations." E dey "prohibit discrimination against indigenous peoples den promotes ein full den effective participation insyd all matters dat concern them, den ein right to remain distinct den to pursue ein own visions of economic den social development".

De goal of de declaration to encourage countries to work alongside indigenous peoples to solve global issues, such as development, multicultural, democracy, den decentralization.

On Thursday, September 13, 2007, de United Nations dey vote by a vast majority of 143 insyd favor (4 against, 11 abstained, den 34 absent) of de declaration.

Since 2007, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, den de United States have reversed dema positions den now support de declaration. As of February 2020, de *United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples* describe (A/RES/61/295) as "...de most comprehensive international instrument on de rights of indigenous peoples. E dey establish a universal framework of minimum standards for de survival, dignity den well-being of de indigenous peoples of de world den e elaborate on existing human rights standards den fundamental freedoms as they apply to de specific situation of indigenous peoples."

As a United Nations General Assembly declaration, UNDRIP be not a legally binding instrument under international law. According to a UN press release e do "represent de dynamic development of international legal norms den e reflect de commitment of de UN ein member states to move insyd certain directions"; de UN dey describe  as setting "an important standard for de treatment of indigenous peoples dat will undoubtedly be a significant tool toward eliminating human rights violations against de planet ein 370 million indigenous people, den assisting them insyd combating discrimination den marginalization."

UNDRIP codify "Indigenous historical grievances, contemporary challenges den socio-economic, political den cultural aspirations" den be de "culmination of generations-long efforts by Indigenous organizations to get international attention, to secure recognition for ein aspirations, den to generate support for ein political agendas." Ken Coates, a Canada Research Chair den faculty member at de University of Saskatchewan, argue dat UNDRIP resonate powerfully plus indigenous peoples, while national governments have not yet fully understood ein impact.

## History
De groundwork toward dis declaration begin insyd 1923 den 1925 plus de works of Haudenosaunee Chief Deskaheh den Māori religious leader T. W. Ratana, who attempt to bring issues of Canada den New Zealand ein failure to uphold treaties to de League of Nations, United Nations ein precursor. Issues of indigenous peoples on a world scale begin to be reevaluated insyd 1982 plus de establishment of de Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, formed by de Economic den Social Council (ECOSOC). Ein goal be to create an overarching document dat would help protect de rights den privileges of indigenous peoples throughout de world.

De declaration dey go through numerous drafts from 1994, after a version had already been recommended by de Vienna Declaration den Programme of Action insyd 1993, to 2006, when de draft of de declaration be adopted den ein adoption at de United Nations General Assembly was recommended by de United Nations Human Rights Council.

On Thursday, September 13, 2007, de United Nations voted by a vast majority of 143 insyd favor (4 against, 11 abstained, den 34 absent) of de declaration. Insyd May 2016, Canada officially remove ein objector status to UNDRIP, almost a decade after it was adopted by de General Assembly. By 2016, Australia, New Zealand, den de United States of America, who had sana voted against de declaration, had reverse ein positions den expressed support.

## Current applications

### Implementations
Canada has processes underway to better recognize den realize insyd practice de rights of indigenous peoples.

### Denial of the existence of indigenous peoples
Several states do not recognize indigenous ethnic minorities insyd ein territories as being indigenous peoples, den simply refer to them as ethnic minorities. Many of these ethnic minorities be marginalized from de majority ethnic population insyd relative social, economic den political performance measures, den ein indigenous rights be poorly protected. UNDRIP signatories dat disregard de intent outlined insyd UNDRIP articles include de People's Republic of China den de Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

## Purpose
Due to de past den ongoing violence den abuse of indigenous individuals den peoples, de UN created dis non-legally binding declaration as an aspiration for how indigenous individuals den peoples should be treated.

Dis declaration be a resolution, meaning e be not a law-bearing document. Indigenous peoples be not considered political nation-states den do not have access to international law protection through de international court of justice. Article 40 states dat indigenous peoples have de right to fair procedures for de resolution of conflicts den disputes plus countries or oda parties. Because indigenous people cannot use de International Court of Justice, UNDRIP has no indication of which judicial power indigenous peoples be to bring disputes to.

De declaration ein purpose be not to create new rights, but rather addresses topics such as indigenous reconciliation insyd regard to restoring den protecting culture, traditions, den indigenous institutions, den de pursuit of self-determined development.

## Content
De declaration be structured as a United Nations resolution, plus 23 preambular clauses den 46 articles. Most articles include an aspiration for how de State should promote den protect de rights of indigenous people (see Provision for further explanation). Major themes of de articles include:

* Rights of self-determination of indigenous individuals and peoples (articles 1–8; 33–34)
** The difference is between the individual and people's group
** Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.
* Rights of indigenous individuals den people to protect ein culture through practices, languages, education, media, den religion, dey include control of ein intellectual property (articles 9–15, 16, 25, and 31)
* Asserts de indigenous peoples ein right to own type of governance den to economic development (articles 17–21, 35–37)
* Health rights (articles 23–24)
* Protection of subgroups ex. elderly, women, den children (article 22)
* Land rights from ownership (wey include reparation, or return of land i.e. article 10) to environmental issues (articles 26–30, and 32)
* Dictates how dis document should be understood insyd future reference (articles 38–46).

### Provisions
De opening den article 2 of de declaration provide that "indigenous peoples are equal to all oda peoples" (source). Besides asserting the rights dat indigenous individuals den peoples have as oda peoples, there be articles (23 of the 46) pointing to how States should interact plus de declaration. Most of de articles point to States working insyd conjunction plus de indigenous peoples. Some measures countries be suggested to take are:

* To return land (article 26), ceremonial objects (article 12), den human remains (article 12)
* To place "programmes for monitoring, maintaining, den restoring de health of indigenous peoples" (article 29)
* To protect den uphold de rights of indigenous individuals den peoples (subpoint insyd many articles; see Declaration)

## Negotiation den adoption
De declaration be over 25 years insyd de making. De idea originated insyd 1982 when de UN Economic den Social Council (ECOSOC) set up ein Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP), established as a result of a study by Special Rapporteur José Ricardo Martínez Cobo on de problem of discrimination faced by indigenous peoples. Tasked plus developing human rights standards dat would protect indigenous peoples, insyd 1985 de working group begin working on drafting de declaration on de Rights of Indigenous Peoples. De draft be finished insyd 1993 and be submitted to de Sub-Commission on de Prevention of Discrimination den Protection of Minorities, which dey give ein approval de following year. During dis de International Labour Organization adopted de Indigenous den Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (C169).

De draft declaration be then referred to de Commission on Human Rights, which established anoda working group to examine ein terms. Over de following years dis working group meet on 11 occasions to examine den fine-tune de draft declaration den ein provisions. Progress be slow because of certain states ein concerns regarding some key provisions of de declaration, such as indigenous peoples ein right to self-determination den de control over natural resources existing on indigenous peoples dema traditional lands. De final version of de declaration be adopted on June 29, 2006, by de 47-member Human Rights Council (de successor body to de Commission on Human Rights), plus 30 member states insyd favour, 2 against, 12 abstentions, den 3 absentees.

De declaration (document A/61/L.67) be then referred to de General Assembly, which voted on de adoption of de proposal on September 13, 2007, during ein 61st regular session.

Na de vote be as follows:

All four member states dat voted against have ein origins as settler colonies of de British Empire, den have a majority of non-indigenous population. Since then, all four countries have moved to endorse de declaration insyd some informal way insyd which e would not actually become binding law pleadable insyd court. Canada, under a Conservative Party leadership made official public statements against de application of de UNDRIP insyd Canada.

However, de Liberal Government dey elect to leadership insyd 2015, has unequivocally indicated Canada ein support for UNDRIP. On December 3, 2020, Bill C-15 be introduced to de House of Commons dat would bring Canadian law into alignment plus de UN resolution. Bill C-15 passed Canada ein senate on June 16, 2021, den receive royal assent on June 21, 2021, to become law. Insyd doing so Canada become de first of de four countries dat originally voted against de UNDRIP to adopt it into law.

Australian Government interventions have been challenged under ein terms without success.

Three abstaining countries, Colombia, Samoa, den Ukraine have since endorsed de document.

## Support den compromises
Insyd contrast to de declaration ein initial rejection by Australia, Canada, New Zealand den de United States over legal concerns (all four countries later switched their positions to accepting de declaration as a non-legally-binding document), United Nations officials den oda world leaders express pleasure at ein adoption. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon describe it as a "historic moment when UN Member States den indigenous peoples have reconciled plus ein painful histories den be resolved to move forward together on de path of human rights, justice den development for all." Louise Arbour, a former justice of de Supreme Court of Canada then serving as de UN ein High Commissioner for Human Rights, dey express satisfaction at de hard work den perseverance dat had finally "borne fruit insyd de most comprehensive statement to date of indigenous peoples dema rights." Similarly, news of de declaration ein adoption be greeted with jubilation insyd Africa den, present at de General Assembly session insyd New York, Bolivian foreign minister David Choquehuanca say dat he hoped de member states dat had voted against or abstained would reconsider ein refusal to support a document he describe as being as important as de Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Bolivia has become de first country to approve de U.N. declaration of indigenous rights. Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, stated, "We be de first country to turn dis declaration into a law den dat be important, brothers den sisters. We recognize den salute de work of our representatives. But if we were to remember de indigenous fight clearly, many of us who are sensitive would end up crying insyd remembering de discrimination, de scorn."

Stephen Corry, director of de international indigenous rights organization Survival International, say, "De declaration has been debated for nearly a quarter century. Years which have seen many tribal peoples, such as de Akuntsu den Kanoê insyd Brazil, decimated den others, such as de Innu insyd Canada, dey bring to de edge. Governments dat oppose it be shamefully fighting against de human rights of ein most vulnerable peoples. Claims they make to support human rights insyd oda areas will be seen as hypocritical."

De Australian Institute of Aboriginal den Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) formally acknowledges den upholds de principles of de declaration insyd both ein *Collection Access* *den Use Policy* den ein *Guidelines for Ethical Research insyd Australian Indigenous Studies.*

## Criticism
Prior to de adoption of de declaration, den throughout de 62nd session of de General Assembly, a number of countries expressed concern about some key issues, such as self-determination, access to lands, territories den resources den de lack of a clear definition of de term "indigenous". Insyd addition to those intending to vote against de adoption of de declaration, a group of African countries represented by Namibia proposed to defer action, to hold further consultations, den to conclude consideration of de declaration by September 2007. Ultimately, after agreeing on some adjustments to de draft declaration, a vast majority of states recognized dat these issues could be addressed by each country at de national level.

### '''By opposing countries'''
De four states dat voted against continued to express serious reservations about de final text of de declaration as placed before de General Assembly. All four opposing countries later changed ein vote insyd favour of de declaration.

#### Australia
De Australian Government opposed de declaration insyd de General Assembly vote of 2007, but has since endorse de declaration. Australia ein Mal Brough, Minister for Families, Community Services den Indigenous Affairs, referring to de provision regarding de upholding of indigenous peoples ein customary legal systems, say dat "There should only be one law for all Australians den we should not enshrine insyd law practices dat be not acceptable insyd de modern world."

Marise Payne, Liberal Party Australian Senate for New South Wales, further elaborated on de Australian government ein objections to de declaration insyd a speech to de Australian Senate:

* Concerns about references to self-determination den ein potential to be misconstrued.
* Ignorance of contemporary realities concerning land den resources. "They seem, to many readers, to require de recognition of Indigenous rights to lands which be now lawfully owned by oda citizens, both Indigenous den non-Indigenous, den therefore to have some quite significant potential to impact on de rights of third parties."
* Concerns over de extension of indigenous intellectual property rights under de declaration as unnecessary under current international den Australian law.
* De potential abuse of the right under the declaration for indigenous peoples to unqualified consent on matters affecting them, "which implies to some readers dat they may then be able to exercise a right of veto over all matters of state, which would include national laws den de administrative measures."
* De exclusivity of indigenous rights over intellectual, real den cultural property, dat "does not acknowledge de rights of third parties – insyd particular, ein rights to access Indigenous land den heritage den cultural objects where appropriate under national law." Furthermore, dat de declaration "fails to consider de different types of ownership den use dat can be accorded to Indigenous people den de rights of third parties to property insyd dat regard."
* Concerns dat de declaration places indigenous customary law insyd a superior position to national law, den dat dis may "permit de exercise of practices which would not be acceptable across de board", such as customary corporal den capital punishments.

Insyd October 2007 former Australian Prime Minister John Howard pledged to hold a referendum on changing de Australian constitution to recognize Indigenous Australians if re-elected. He said dat de distinctiveness of people ein identity den ein rights to preserve ein heritage should be acknowledged.

On April 3, 2009, de Rudd Government formally endorsed de declaration.

**Canada**

De Canadian Government said dat while it supported de "spirit" of de declaration, it contain elements dat were "fundamentally incompatible plus Canadian Constitution", which include both de Charter of Rights den Freedoms den Section 35, which enshrines aboriginal den treaty rights. Insyd particular, de Canadian government had problems plus article 19 (which appears to require governments to secure de consent of indigenous peoples regarding matters of general public policy), den articles 26 den 28 (which could allow for de re-opening or repudiation of historically settled land claims).

#### New Zealand

For 2007 New Zealand ein Minister of Māori Affairs, Parekura Horomia, describe de declaration as "toothless", den talk say: "Der be four provisions we get problems plus, wey make de declaration fundamentally incompatible plus New Zealand ein constitutional den legal arrangements." Article 26 for particular, e talk say, "appear to require recognition of rights to lands wey now lawfully own by oda citizens, both indigenous den non-indigenous. Dis ignore contemporary reality den go be impossible to implement."

For response, Māori Party leader Pita Sharples talk say e be "shameful to de extreme say New Zealand vote against de outlawing of discrimination against indigenous people; vote against justice, dignity den fundamental freedoms for all".

On July 7, 2009, de Key government announce say e go support de declaration; dis, however, appear to be premature announcement by Pita Sharples, de den Minister of Māori Affairs, as de New Zealand government cautiously backtrack on Sharples ein July announcement. However, on April 19, 2010, Sharples announce New Zealand ein support of de declaration for speech for New York.

Despite no be incorporate into law, UNDRIP don begin to influence policy den judicial decisions for New Zealand. For example, de Declaration don be reference for several decisions of de Supreme Court of New Zealand den extensively for findings by de Waitangi Tribunal.

On 24 November 2023, de National-led coalition agree no to recognize de declaration as having any binding legal effect on New Zealand as part of de coalition agreement. Dis coalition government sanso agree to stop all work on He Puapua, wey be report on implementing de goals of UNDRIP for New Zealand.

#### United States
Speaking for de United States mission to de UN, spokesman Benjamin Chang talk say, "Wetin dem do today no be clear. De way e stand now be subject to multiple interpretations den no establish clear universal principle." De U.S. mission sanso issue floor document, "Observations of de United States with respect to de Declaration on de Rights of Indigenous Peoples", setting out ein objections to de declaration. Most of dese be based on de same points as de three oda countries ein rejections but, for addition, de United States draw attention to de declaration ein failure to provide clear definition of exactly whom de term "indigenous peoples" be intend to cover.

On December 16, 2010, President Obama declare say de United States go "lend ein support" to de declaration. De decision be announce during de second White House Tribal Nations Conference, wer e talk say e dey "working hard to live up to" de name wey dem give am by de Crow Nation: "One Who Helps People Throughout de Land." Obama don tell Native American leaders say e want to improve de "nation-to-nation" relationship between de United States den de tribes den repair broken promises. Today, der be more dan 560 Indian tribes for de United States wey dem recognize for de federal level, plus chaw additional sixty-plus tribes wey dem recognize for de state level. Chaw don get representatives for de White House conference den applaud Obama ein announcement.

De Obama administration ein decision come after three consultation meetings plus Native Americans den more dan 3,000 written comments on de subject. De support of de government sanso include several interpretations of de meaning of de declaration. For de view of de United States government, de declaration advance "new den distinct international concept of self-determination specific to indigenous peoples," wey no be de same as de existing concept for international law. De statement sanso interpret free, prior den informed consent, "wey de United States understand to call for process of meaningful consultation plus tribal leaders, but no necessarily de agreement of dose leaders, before de actions wey dem address for dose consultations be take."

### By supporting countries
#### United Kingdom
Speaking on behalf of de United Kingdom Government, UK Ambassador den Deputy Permanent Representative to de United Nations, Karen Pierce, "emphasize say de Declaration be non-legally binding den no propose to get any retroactive application on historical episodes. National minority groups den oda ethnic groups within de territory of de United Kingdom den ein overseas territories no fall within de scope of de indigenous peoples to wey de Declaration apply."

De UK position be sanso allegedly intend to prevent formal appeal of Canadian decisions to UK courts: Canadian indigenous peoples never accept de 1982 constitution for wey such appeal (regarding early treaties wey dem make plus de Crown of de British Empire) be cut off. Under de prior 1867 constitution, 1920s Dominion of Canada den earlier law, wey continue to apply to dese peoples den treaties, de UNDRIP allegedly fi be pled for UK court for conflicts between treaty den Canadian law. Calls to pursue dis approach don be common among Canadian First Nations people.

#### Finland
Finland sign de International Declaration on de Rights of Indigenous Peoples when dem originally put am forward. However de reindeer owners den Forest Administration (Metsähallitus) get long dispute for de area of de forests. De UN Human Rights Committee order de Finnish State to stop logging for chaw of de disputed areas.

### Abstentions
#### Russian Federation
De Russian Federation never reverse ein abstention from de adoption of de UNDRIP. During de first review cycle of de Universal Periodic Review of 2009, e don accept recommendation by Mexico to "comply plus de principles wey contain for de Declaration", yet for de second cycle, 2013, e reject almost identical recommendation by Estonia, claiming say ein own legislation already be more advance dan de provisions of de UNDRIP.

#### Ukraine
Ukraine, wey initially abstain from adopting de declaration, change ein approach to indigenous issues for response to de recent annexation of Crimea, asserting say Crimean Tatars be indigenous people. For May 2014, de country formally endorse de UNDRIP. On June 1, 2021, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine pass de law "On de Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine", regarding de status of Crimean Tatars, Crimean Karaites, den Krymchaks, wey make reference to de UNDRIP.

#### Pacific Island states
Ten UN member states for de Pacific, all plus indigenous majorities, be absent from de assembly for de time of de vote: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
## External links

* UN (March 18, 2008), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (PDF), United Nations, retrieved September 20, 2013
*United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as Adopted by the General Assembly, 13 September 2007 Full text of the declaration.

## References