Indigenous Peoples

UN Human Rights Council adopts the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

On 29 June 2006, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council passed a resolution* [ PDF ] to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples*. [ PDF ] In the roll-call vote, 30 countries voted for the adoption of the Declaration, 2 voted against, and 12 abstained from voting. Many Asian countries voted for the adoption of the Declaration, namely, Azerbaijan, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka.

The 18-page declaration is not binding but it calls on governments to introduce laws to underpin its provisions. The Declaration enjoins nations with Aboriginal peoples to give them more control over their lands and resources.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the UN, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law. According to the Declaration, indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity. Indigenous peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. The Declarations also articulates indigenous peoples’ right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their rights to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State.

The Declaration will now be forwarded to the General Assembly’s September session.

Read more about the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• UN General Assembly Third Committee Defer Action on the Declaration*
• UN News Centre*
• International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs*
• ABC News Online*
• UN Office at Geneva, News and Media*

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