13 September: Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and wellbeing of the indigenous people of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous people. It was drafted and formally debated for over twenty years prior to being adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007.
The declaration was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007, by a majority of 144 states in favour, four votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine). Years later the four countries that voted against have reversed their position and now support the declaration.
Many of the rights in the declaration require new approaches to global issues such as development, decentralisation and multicultural democracy. In order to achieve full respect for diversity, countries will need to adopt participatory approaches to indigenous issues, which will require effective consultations and the building of partnerships with indigenous peoples.
