IPS-English POLITICS: U.N. Faces Test on Native Rights Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:57:42 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Sender-Host-Address: 63.203.231.61 X-Sender-Host-Name: adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST ROMAIPS WD HD IP IN=20 POLITICS: U.N. Faces Test on Native Rights Haider Rizvi UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (IPS) - Even though various U.N. agencies have end= orsed an international document that calls for full recognition of the ri= ghts of indigenous peoples, the United States and a handful of other nati= ons continue to stand in the way of its approval by the 192-member Genera= l Assembly. Indigenous leaders, attending the current session of the General Assembly= , told IPS at a news conference here Friday that they hoped that the Gene= ral Assembly would adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peop= les by consensus, but said they were not sure what would happen in light = of opposition from the United States and its allies. =94It will be embarrassing for the U.N. if it votes [down] the declaratio= n. It will be shameful,=94 said Aqqaluk Lynge, president of the Inuit Cir= cumpolar Conference, an organisation based in the Inuit territories in Gr= eenland, the United States, Canada and Russia. The declaration, which has already been approved by the Geneva-based Huma= n Rights Council, was put together by the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigen= ous Issues last May, following years of intense diplomacy involving gover= nments, native peoples' representatives and numerous non-governmental org= anisations. The General Assembly is expected to discuss the issue in coming days. The= declaration recognises the rights of indigenous people to their lands an= d resources and to live as they wish. It states that indigenous people mu= st be protected from forced assimilation and the destruction of their cul= tures. Even if approved, the declaration would not be legally binding. Neverthel= ess, its supporters say the declaration would serve to increase pressure = on governments to observe universal principles such as democracy, justice= and nondiscrimination. =94This is a declaration, not an international law. This is not something= that countries will have to follow,=94 said Kent Lebsock, executive dire= ctor of the New York-based American Indian Law Alliance, while criticisin= g the role the U.S. and its allies have played in diplomatic talks on the= declaration. =94It's a recommendation on how to interact with indigenous people,=94 he= added. =94It's just the first step, so that we begin to discover how to = use it.=94 At issue is the treatment of disparate indigenous populations who, accord= ing to U.N. estimates, add up to more than 370 million people worldwide. Indigenous leaders said they had been assured of support from many nation= s, including the European Union, but added they saw no signs of flexibili= ty in the attitude of the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. The three countries have consistently opposed the text's embrace of indig= enous peoples' demand for =94self-determination=94. =94No government can accept the notion of creating different classes of c= itizens,=94 delegations from the three countries said in a joint statemen= t recently that also described the indigenous communities' demand to dete= rmine their own affairs as =94inconsistent with international law=94. They said the indigenous land claims ignore current reality =94by appeari= ng to require the recognition to lands now lawfully owned by other citize= ns.=94 Similar controversy has surfaced over the declaration's recognition of in= digenous peoples' demand that the holders or seekers of commercial patent= s on seeds, plants and other forms of traditional knowledge must first ob= tain consent from the communities that discovered or developed the assets= in the first place. U.S. and other delegates have argued that free and informed prior consent= would run counter to the current intellectual property rights regime, wh= ich favours commercial development. To indigenous leaders and advocates, however, such opposition to the decl= aration is the attitude of colonisers who have yet to face up to centurie= s of abuse and exploitation. =94The imperial era was largely based on the dispossession of most of the= world's indigenous people,=94 said Stephen Corry, director of Survival I= nternational, an advocacy group based in Britain. =94It cannot be conside= red over until the world accepts these peoples' rights.=94 Native leaders said recently that Canada has also expressed opposition to= the principle of self-determination, although in the past it had lent it= s unconditional support for the cause of indigenous peoples. =94It did a huge flip-flop, which was most unfortunate, after the electio= n of their current conservative government,=94 Lebsock told IPS. =94They = are now back squarely in the U.S. camp.=94 Meanwhile, at the news conference, Enrique Berruga, Mexico's ambassador t= o the U.N., said his country fully stood with indigenous leaders and that= it would rally support for a consensus vote on the declaration. =94We expect the declaration would be adopted with consensus for sure,=94= he told IPS. =94We will be pushing for that. It has been discussed long = enough. It is high time for it to be adopted.=94 =94Those who have decided to step away, I think, they will have to pay,=94= he added. =94They will have to figure it out how to explain it to their = own people. There is a cost.=94 ***** +Inuit Circumpolar Conference (http://www.inuit.org/index.asp?lang=3Deng&= num=3D260) +U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/= unpfii/) +Survival International (http://www.survival-international.org/) +American Indian Law Alliance (http://www.ailanyc.org/) +PERU: Indigenous People, Ignored Even by the Statistics (http://ipsnews.= net/news.asp?idnews=3D35058) +RIGHTS: The Condor Meets the Eagles (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=3D= 34945) +RIGHTS: Native People Demand Self-Determination (http://ipsnews.net/news= .asp?idnews=3D34296) (END/IPS/WD/IN/HD/IP/HR/KS/06) =20 =3D 10132313 ORP010 NNNN