By D.B. Smith
Windspeaker Staff Writer
VIENNA, Aus.
Recognizing land rights and the right to
self-determination topped the lists of recommendations presented
by the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples to the Non-Government
Forum (NGO) of the United Nations World Conference on Human
Rights last week.
A land base defines an Indigenous people and is essential
in securing their futures, said working group rapporteur Terry
Jussin
"We, the world's Indigenous peoples, have lived on our
lands before colonisation and we continue to reside there,
manifesting distinct characteristics which identify us as
nations. We must emphasize the importance of land to Indigenous
peoples. The most important of these issues is the right to
obtain our land, the right to retain our land, and the right to
live as people on our land."
Jussin's comments drew thunderous applause from the more
than 1400 NGO delegates assembled for the morning's plenary
session during the third and last day of the NGO Forum at the
Austria Centre in Vienna.
"This distinguishes us from minorities and identifies us
as peoples with the right to self-determination."
The Indigenous report joins Hundreds of NGOs, ranging
from Indigenous governments to womens' rights groups, met June 10
- 12 in an attempt to develop 10 NGO position papers for the
United Nations during its World Conference on Human Rights.
Indigenous peoples are not the remains of traditions and
cultures throughout the world, Jussic said. They are a vital and
structured living entity whose problems must be supported by the
United Nations.
Also among the groups chief recommendations was the
establishment of an international decade of the world's
Indigenous peoples, an event to be built upon the current
international year.
The UN's own Working Group on Indigenous People should
also be upgraded to a permanent body within the global
organization, he said. The mandate for such a permanent body
should be determined by the United Nations in partnership with
Indigenous peoples o rganizations.
Jussin also recommended the establishment of a High
Commissioner, appointed by the UN, to permanently monitor the
state of Indigenous peoples' rights. Regular meetings of an
Indigenous rights group should also be held in areas through the
world, especial ly in regions with high Indigenous populations.
Future UN development, funding and technical assistance
programs should recognize and respect Indigenous peoples rights
to work in partnership with the global organization. And the UN
should provide funding and assistance to development programs
initiate d by Indigenous peoples.
The UN should also adopt the "strongest possible draft"
of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
Jussic said.
"Indigenous peoples shall have access to participate in
the drafting and review process as it moves through the
Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly."
The draft document has already come under fire from
Native groups. Canadian delegates to the UN moved in May to
change the term 'Indigenous Peoples' to 'Indigenous People"
during a document drafting session in Geneva, effectively
eliminating the chance f or Indigenous peoples to access
self-determination under established international charters and
declarations.
Jussin also said the working group will urge the UN to
"hasten this already lengthy process and bring pressure upon
states to ratify the finished document as soon as possible."
NGO working group chair Paul Reeves said he was pleased
with the group's final recommendations, despite the absence of
stronger wording on the issue of land rights.
"I felt there was a good description of who we are within
our own terms,' he said. "As far as the recommendations, they
were specific and they sought to build on things that are already
happening. I think Indigenous peoples are being invited to be
(world ) managers at this moment but what they really want to do
is jump up and be board of directors. The owners."
The final draft did, however, capture a basic statement
of land as the cement of Indigenous identity, said the Anglican
Reverend and New Zealand Maori.
"It's all that we are, all that we have been, and all that
we want to be. That is not simple an economic base, it is a
cultural base. It is our life. As Maori, we describe ourselves as
people of the land. We were all at one in our discussion about
that."
The document also met with the approval of a
representative from the United Nations Working group on
Indigenous People.
"It's very much in line with what Indigenous peoples are
asking for," said group secretary Julian Burger. "It's very
consistent with what Indigenous peoples world-wide are asking
for. Basically, that the UN do a hell of a lot more."
The recommendation to extend the international year would
also give the UN time to undertake more effective programs.
"We feel from listening to Indigenous people, that the
international year is just not long enough," Burger said.
None of the United Nations operational organizations can
carry out a program in 12 months so the idea of recommending an
international decade was very welcome, he said.
The United Nations is under no obligation to adopt any of
the recommendations. UN Conference organizers decided, however,
to allow 550 NGO delegates to attend the June 14 - 25
discussions. 50 of those delegates would also be allowed to
speak, marking the first time that NGO delegate will participate
in a UN function.
-30-