Background and History

In 1923, Haudenosaunee Chief Deskaheh travelled to Geneva to speak to the League of Nations and defend the right of his people to live under their own laws, on the own land and under their own faith. Even though he was not allowed to speak and returned home in 1924, his vision nourished the generations that followed. Photo credit *

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in more than 70 countries worldwide. Indigenous peoples are the inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to other people and to the environment. Indigenous peoples have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, the various groups of indigenous peoples around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.

Indigenous peoples around the world have sought recognition of their identities, their ways of life and their right to traditional lands and resources; yet throughout history, their rights have been violated. Indigenous people are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world today. The international community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect the rights of the world's indigenous peoples.

In 1982 the Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights was established by a decision of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

The Working Group has been the catalyst for many initiatives related to indigenous peoples. Most importantly, it began drafting a declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples in 1985. It completed the draft in 1993 and, in 1995, the Commission on Human Rights set up its own working group to review the draft adopted by the human rights experts of the Working Group and Sub-Commission. More than 100 indigenous organizations participate in that working group. The declaration is still under discussion.

When adopted, it will likely be the most comprehensive statement of the rights of indigenous peoples ever developed: the draft declaration forsees collective rights to a degree unprecedented in international human rights law. Adoption of this instrument will give the clearest indication yet that the international community is committing itself to the protection of the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples. While this Declaration would not be legally binding on States, and would not, therefore, impose legal obligations on governments, the declaration would carry considerable moral force.

In addition to participating in large numbers in the Working Group on Indigenous Populations and other meetings, indigenous people are also becoming more prominent as individual players on the world stage. In 1989, Chief Ted Moses, of the Grand Council of the Crees in Canada, was the first indigenous person elected to office at a UN meeting to discuss the effects of racial discrimination on the social and economic situation of indigenous peoples. Since then, increasing numbers of indigenous persons hold office at meetings related to indigenous matters.

Hundreds of indigenous people attended, and some addressed, the second World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in June 1993. That year was also the International Year of the World's Indigenous People. The Conference recognized the responsibility of all UN member States to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and recommended consideration of a permanent forum at the UN for indigenous peoples.

In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly launched the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples (1995-2004) to increase the United Nations' commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide. As part of the Decade, several UN specialized agencies are working with indigenous peoples to design and implement projects on health, education, housing, employment, development and the environment that promote the protection of indigenous peoples and their traditional customs, values and practices.

Indigenous peoples have also participated in major world conferences, such as the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, and the 1996 Social Summit. Indigenous peoples also were prominent in the 2001 World Conference against Racism, which was held in Durban, South Africa.

By ECOSOC resolution 2000/22 the Permanent Forum was created with a broad mandate to deal with six main areas, economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

* Photo courtesy Centre d'Iconographie Genevoise, Collections BPU, Switzerland.