10th Anniversary of the UNDRIP

Statement by the Chair of the UNPFII on the 10th Anniversary of the UNDRIP

September 13, 2017

United Nations Headquarters, New York –

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the UN General Assembly in 2007.

No words can describe the feeling of joy, ten years ago, when the Declaration after thirty long years of struggle in its drafting was finally adopted. With the Declaration, Indigenous Peoples now got an international standard that specifically articulated their individual and collective rights as well as their rights to identity, language, health, education and other issues. Over the following years, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples began to have international and national impact across the world. Some countries now recognise indigenous peoples in their constitutions; others have legislation and policies in place to address historical injustices and promote the rights, identity and worldviews of indigenous peoples. National and regional courts are invoking the Declaration to protect indigenous peoples’ rights. These are good news that we need to learn from and bring forward.

Continued here.

16th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues - 24 April - 5 May, 2017

The 16th Session of the UNPFII has opened in the United Nations in New York. The theme of the session is the
"Tenth Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: measures taken to
implement the Declaration.”

Additional information is on the UNPFII web page and at Cultural Survival.

American Indian Law Alliance (AILA) Statement to UNPFII Expert Group Meeting: Dialogue on an Optional Protocol

From Idle No More:

A Statement from the AILA to the UNPFII Expert Group Meeting: Dialogue on an optional protocol to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 28-29 January 2015, UN Headquarters, Presented by the American Indian Law Alliance (AILA)
www.ailanyc.org Oral statement delivered 29 January 2015 is reproduced at the Idle No More website.

The Expert Group on Indigenous Peoples has scheduled a meeting on an Optional Protocol to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to be held April 20 - May 11, 2015 at the UN headquarters. The AILA presents it's objections to the optional protocol itself and to the manner in which the discussion has developed.

Items mentioned:

“Study on an optional protocol to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples focusing on a voluntary mechanism” (E/C.19/2014/7)2

The Haudenosaunee intervention on ‘Principles of Good Governance,’ delivered by Chief Oren Lyons (Onondaga Nation), under Agenda Item 3 at the Thirteenth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) delivered on May 14, 2014.

Fourteenth Session of the UNPFII to take place April 20- May 1, 2015 at UN Headquarters lists as its proposed Agenda Item 5: Half-day discussion on the expert group meeting on the theme “Dialogue on an optional protocol to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People”

proposal to revise EMRIP’s mandate, which emerged from the negotiations of the HLPM/WCIP Outcome Document. Paragraph 28 of the Outcome Document of the HLPM/WCIP

Modalities Resolution of the HLPM/WCIP

UNDRIP

expert paper submitted by Professor Mattias Åhrén to the Expert Group Meeting