Tracey Whare
New Zealand – Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust & Mãori Law Society
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QwqFrwwbtY&w=500&]
What measures will you undertake to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within the UN system at both the international as well as the regional levels, and how will you encourage member states to implement the Declaration at the country level in ways that are meaningful to Indigenous Peoples?
Ms. Helen Clark’s answer
We have seen positive momentum at the UN on the rights of indigenous people. The actions that were agreed at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples will help to realize the goals and aspirations contained in the UNDRIP. Over the next year we will see two of these actions: negotiations on the participation of indigenous peoples at the UN; and a special focus on indigenous women and girls at the 61st Commission on the Status of Women. On development, indigenous peoples made valuable contributions to the 2030 Agenda and they should have an important role in its implementation. Through these events indigenous peoples and member states will have closer dialogue and need to work together to achieve results.
Mr. Miroslav Lajčák’s answer
The history, culture, traditions and languages of indigenous peoples are part of the rich tapestry of human existence that must be preserved. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People must be fully implemented It is essential that Indigenous Peoples are part of decision making processes on all issues that might affect them.
Indigenous populations constituted about one third of the world’s poorest and most marginalized peoples. Particular attention must be paid to women and girls, who face multiple forms of discrimination, based on their gender and ethnicity. I stand ready to help strengthen the international cooperation for the indigenous peoples, raise awareness, encourage member states to ensure respect of basic human rights, protection of their natural environment, preservation of cultural heritage, religion and language. UN should be able to effectively assist countries with devising necessary policies and programs for indigenous population.
Dr. Igor Lukšić’s answer
Unfortunately, some people are still excluded, marginalized, distinguished and restricted in the exercise of their rights based on different grounds. The UNCTs will be urged to improve their work in the field in terms of raising awareness of the existing international legal instruments and standards and help build capacities of states for the development of national policies and national protection frameworks or mechanisms that will improve abilities of member states to counter all forms of discrimination and enable their citizens to fully realize human rights. Indigenous issues and the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous should remain as a UN’s priority. For its realization, trainings on indigenous issues for UN Country Teams and for OHCHR field presences should be further conducted. Support of the UN system is even more important in undertaking legislative initiatives for advancing the rights of indigenous peoples.
Dr. Danilo Türk’s answer
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007 came into being as a result of long and difficult negotiations in which I participated as a human rights expert and activist. For many decades the indigenous peoples were “the peoples most studied and least understood”. This has been changing slowly and the rights of indigenous peoples are now at least recognized, including their rights to identity and self-determination, their land rights as well as their cultural and other social, economic, civil and political rights. The implementation will continue to be based on the UN human rights mechanisms, the specialized fora for the indigenous peoples and, most important, in the context of Sustainable Development Goals. As Secretary – General with previous experience in the formulation of the UN declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and, earlier, the Declaration on the Right to Development, I would organize periodic consultations to strengthen the processes of implementation of these declarations for the benefit of the indigenous peoples.