Our organisations support the Working Group’s request to the Commission on Human Rights for additional time in order to successfully conclude the process as soon as possible as requested by the Third Committee of the General Assembly in its Resolution related to the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People
[1].
We urge that States and Indigenous peoples be given the opportunity to continue to work together to clarify and strengthen the 1994 Draft Declaration elaborated by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, taking into consideration the progress achieved during the last session of the Working Group, notably in the growing consensus on the right of self-determination. Given that there remain significant differences among States on articles vital to the protection of Indigenous peoples’ rights, we also urge the establishment of a realistic and productive process and timetable for continuing this work.
Recalling that the Third Committee of the 59th session of the General Assembly in its draft Resolution on the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People [2], as well as the Commission on Human Rights in its Resolution on human rights and indigenous issues [3], reaffirmed the urgent need to recognize, promote and protect more effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Indigenous peoples, we call upon the international community to recognize Indigenous peoples’ rights as a central human rights concern and to make the timely adoption of the Declaration a matter of high priority.