The International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, proclaimed in 1994 by the UN General Assembly, will end in 2004. Its aims, which are of "strengthening international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, development, education and health", are "already being turned into reality", said Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People observed on 9 August 2003. The Decade's two main thrusts are to create permanent mechanisms to address these issues and establish and promote human rights standards with regard to indigenous populations.
Currently, there are three instruments within the UN system that deal with indigenous issues: the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which monitors the human rights of indigenous peoples and develops normative standards to improve their situation; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, who investigates allegations of systematic abuses, as well as atrocities, through fieldwork and direct communication with Governments and local indigenous groups; and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which reports directly to the Council and thus is able to cover aspects falling outside the human rights category. Each has a distinct mandate and although there is still some debate over what structural changes should be implemented to increase efficiency, there is optimism that further progress can be made.
In conversations with the Chronicle, Chairman Ole-Henrik Magga of the Permanent Forum noted that while their work was just beginning, all three components are necessary to work hand in hand, functioning much like a chair which cannot stand with only two feet. Still under review, the arrangement is nonetheless considered a culmination of work carried out by indigenous groups, UN agencies and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in tandem with State Governments during the International Decade.
Another major goal of the Decade-the adoption of a declaration on the rights of indigenous people-has not yet been met. The ninth session of the Working Group on the draft declaration met from 15 to 26 September 2003 in Geneva to continue the preparation of a resolution that would be accepted by the General Assembly. Concerns regarding the issues of self-determination, land rights and naturalresource exploitation have slowed this process, and thus far only two articles have been adopted. It appears unlikely that this course will come to completion in the near future, but what steps will be taken if it is not brought before the Assembly before the end of the Decade remain to be seen.
In addition to efforts carried out at the international level, much has been done regionally to promote education and dissemination of information about indigenous issues. Indigenous peoples still face marginalization and human rights abuses across the globe, as Special Rapporteur Radolfo Stavenhagen has indicated in his reports. Threats to the livelihood and security of groups, such as the indigenous peoples of Colombia and the Mapuche of Chile, continue, which has led to calls for a second International Decade-a proposal being considered by the Economic and Social Council for possible submission to the General Assembly. |
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