INTERNATIONAL INDIAN TREATY COUNCIL   

IITC’s Position on Recent Developments regarding the UN Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its   

ADOPTION BY THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

September 3^rd, 2007

1)      IITC recognizes that Indigenous Peoples were not part of the most recent negotiating process between representatives of the co-sponsoring states (in particular, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala) and African states.  Indigenous Peoples did not help to draft the 9 newly negotiated text changes in the Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  

2)      IITC also recognizes that Indigenous Peoples will not have a vote either in favor or against the Declaration at the General Assembly

3)      IITC understands the difficulties in the negotiating process between the co-sponsor states and the African countries which produced these amendments. We have been informed by the co-sponsors that these changes will insure sufficient support for its adoption at the GA as well as the ability to block any additional unfavorable changes proposed on the floor.  We also understand that this will insure that any proposals by states to extend or create a process to open up the text for additional changes will be blocked as well.

4)      IITC and many of our affiliates, as well as regional processes in which we have taken part, have passed standing consensus resolutions calling for the adoption  of the Human Rights Council Declaration without changes. There is not sufficient time for us to undertake new processes to formally adopt new or revised resolutions on this vital matter within the time frame which currently exists for these decisions.

5)      IITC does not endorse, support or approve the 9 changes that were made to the Human Rights Council Declaration text through the recent states’ negotiating process.  We sincerely wish that the HRC text, as a product of compromise and negotiation with Indigenous Peoples, states and experts over many years, could have been adopted by the UNGA last year.

6)      IITC recognizes with appreciation that the most essential articles and provisions, including those upholding and affirming self-determination, land and natural resources, free prior informed consent, Treaties, cultural rights, inherent rights and others in the Human Rights Council Text have not been changed and remain intact in the new version with the negotiated changes.    

7)      Therefore, while IITC is not able to support the 9 new amendments in the text, fully recognizing the current reality we are faced with, we will join the Indigenous Global caucus consensus, if one emerges, to NOT OPPOSE the presentation by the co-sponsoring states of the new text of the Declaration for adoption by the UNGA. This position is also based on the expressed commitment from the co-sponsors and the Africa states to block any additional amendments which weaken or undermine the Declaration during the General Assembly vote or afterwards.

8)      IITC looks forward to immediately undertaking the implementation of the rights affirmed in the Declaration, hand in hand with states and UN bodies, in particular the UN Human Rights Council.  We will count on strong state and UN support in this regard.