AMR 20/C23/2007
13 September 2007
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by United Nations – despite Canadian government opposition
Media release
September 13, 2007
Canadian human rights and social justice groups join Indigenous peoples’ organizations in welcoming today’s decision by the United Nations General Assembly to adopt the long-awaited UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Declaration has been under development for more than 20 years. Indigenous peoples’ organizations across Canada and around the world have long worked for its adoption.
“This is an historic moment,” says Mary Corkery, Executive Director of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. “Indigenous peoples in every region of the world face daily threats to their well-being and survival as peoples. The adoption of the Declaration sends a clear message that this has to change.”
The Declaration was adopted by a vote of 143 to four with 11 abstentions.
As it did when the Declaration was before the UN Human Rights Council in June 2006 and when it first came before the UN General Assembly in the fall of 2006, Canadian government representatives worked closely with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand to lead an unsuccessful effort to prevent adoption.
The Declaration has been supported by the three opposition parties in the Canadian Parliament. Documents obtained through an access to information request revealed that senior officials in the departments of Foreign Affairs and Indian Affairs had also called on the government to support the adoption of the Declaration.
Now that the Declaration is part of the larger body of international rights laws and standards, human rights groups and Indigenous peoples’ organizations are urging the federal government to return to a constructive dialogue with Indigenous peoples about its implementation.
“Canada will need to work hard to undo the harm done to its international reputation and influence by this unnecessary and unprincipled opposition to the Declaration,” says Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International. “Implementation of the Declaration within Canada is one of the best ways the government could once against demonstrate positive leadership in the international community.”
Read the Joint NGO Statement on the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Media Contacts
Beth Berton-Hunter, Amnesty International Media Officer
416-363-9933 ext 32
Adiat Junaid, Communications Coordinator, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
416.463.5312 ext 223
Jennifer Preston, Canadian Friends Service Committee
416-920-5213