PRESS RELEASE

Historic Milestone for Indigenous Peoples Worldwide

as UN Adopts Rights Declaration

New York, 13 September – Marking an historic achievement for the more

than 370 million indigenous peoples worldwide, the General Assembly

today adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the

result of more than two decades of consultation and dialogue among

governments and indigenous peoples from all regions.

“Today, by adopting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

we are making further progress to improve the situation of indigenous

peoples around the world,” stated General Assembly President Haya Al

Khalifa.

“We are also taking another major step forward towards the promotion and

protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warmly welcomed the adoption, calling it

“a triumph for indigenous peoples around the world.”

He further noted that “this marks a historic moment when UN Member

States and indigenous peoples reconciled with their painful histories

and resolved to move forward together on the path of human rights,

justice and development for all.”

Adopted by the Human Rights Council in June 2006, the Declaration

emphasizes the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen

their own institutions, cultures and traditions and to pursue their

development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations. It

establishes an important standard for eliminating human rights

violations against indigenous peoples worldwide and for combating

discrimination and marginalization.

“The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as an international human

rights day for the Indigenous Peoples of the world, a day that the

United Nations and its Member States, together with Indigenous Peoples,

reconciled with past painful histories and decided to march into the

future on the path of human rights,” said Ms. Vicky Tauli-Corpuz,

Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

The Declaration addresses both individual and collective rights,

cultural rights and identity, rights to education, health, employment,

language and others. The Declaration explicitly encourages harmonious

and cooperative relations between States and Indigenous Peoples. It

prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their

full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.

Calling the Declaration “tangible proof of the increasing cooperation of

States, Indigenous Peoples and the international community as a whole

for the promotion and protection of the human rights of indigenous

peoples”, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr.

Sha Zukang said that the UN “has fulfilled its role as the world’s

parliament and has responded to the trust that Indigenous Peoples around

the world placed in it, that it will stand for dignity and justice,

development and peace for all, without discrimination.”

The Declaration was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the General

Assembly, with 143 countries voting in support, 4 voting against

(Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstaining

(Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya,

Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa, Ukraine).

To view a webcast of the General Assembly session, see:

www.un.org/webcast/ga.html

For more information on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous

Peoples, please see:

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html

For media enquiries, please contact: Renata Sivacolundhu, Department of

Public Information, tel: 212.963.2932, e-mail: sivacolundhu@un.org For

Secretariat of the Permanent Forum, please contact: Mirian Masaquiza,,

tel: 917.367.6006, e-mail: IndigenousPermanentForum@un.org