UNITED
NATIONS 
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
STATEMENT BY
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
H.E. MR. JULIAN R. HUNTE
ON THE COMMEMORATION OF THE
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
9 AUGUST 2004
It
is a pleasure and honour for me, as President of the
United Nations General Assembly, to greet the world's
370 million indigenous people on this special day the
United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed as the
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
The
United Nations, and indeed the global community, has
since the launch in December 1992 of the International
Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples, progressively
set the stage for action to ensure the rights of indigenous
peoples in respect of their land, their language, their
livelihood and their culture.
Issues
of critical importance to indigenous peoples have been
taken up at the highest level, through a decade of observances
of the International Day, the ongoing initiatives of
the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, the proclamations
in 1993 of the International Year of Indigenous Peoples
and in 1994 of the International Decade of Indigenous
Peoples and, more recently, the establishment in 2002
of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
I
am pleased with the United Nations response to issues
relating to indigenous peoples, particularly through
the General Assembly and the specialized agencies, to
promote international co-operation for the solution
to problems indigenous people face in areas including
human rights, the environment, development, education
and health. These efforts help strengthen partnerships
among Member States, indigenous people and the United
Nations system that will provide a firm foundation for
the progress of indigenous people, including through
the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
We have made noteworthy progress since 1923, when Haudenosaunee
Chief Deskaheh travelled to Geneva, determined to speak
to the League of Nations to defend the rights of his
people. Much, however, remains to be done in respect
of the world's indigenous people, who live in over 70
countries. The Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples when it is concluded will, together with other
general international legal instruments on human rights
and fundamental freedoms, promote and protect the rights
of indigenous peoples.
The
Economic and Social Council has decided to recommend
to the General Assembly that it declares a second International
Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples when the current
Decade ends this year. We must take advantage of the
space such opportunities present to celebrate with indigenous
peoples their myriad achievements and rich cultural
diversity. At the same time, we must remain mindful
of the challenges indigenous peoples continue to face
and do our part to ensure the preservation of their
language, culture and religion. We can do so by pledging
to uphold the values of tolerance, equality and individual
freedoms for the benefit of all the world's indigenous
peoples, and for all humankind.
