United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Act now to support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples:
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• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Declaration text and UN documents
• NZ government's position on the Declaration
• Statements, alerts and comment on the Declaration are in date order on the indigenous peoples' rights page
• Indigenous peoples' rights index page

• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the UN General Assembly, 13 September 2007   - English   - Te Reo Maori   - Bilingual

- Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Chair's text), adopted by the Human Rights Council, 29 June 2006

- Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Sub-Commission text), adopted by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Commission on Human Rights, 1994

• Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People, S. James Anaya, UN Human Rights Council, 11 August 2008 (A/HRC/9/9)
• Guidelines on Indigenous Peoples' Issues, United Nations Development Group, 1 February 2008
• Adoption of Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples a historic moment for human rights UN expert says, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples, 14 September 2007
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights hails adoption of Declaration on indigenous rights, OHCHR, 13 September 2007
• Secretary-General says indigenous rights Declaration ‘triumph’ for indigenous peoples around the world, UN Department of Public Information, 13 September 2007
• General Assembly adopts Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples; ‘major step forward’ towards human rights for all says President, UN Department of Public Information, 13 September 2007
• Message of Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples, on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, OHCHR, 7 August 2007
• Letter from Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, UN General Assembly President, to all Permanent Representatives and Permanent Observers to the United Nations New York, 23 July 2007
• Letter from Ambassador Davide to Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, UN General Assembly President (following a meeting with representatives of Australia, Canada, Colombia, Guyana, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and Suriname), 20 July 2007
• Supplement to the Report to the General Assembly President on the Consultation on the draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (following the meeting referred to above), Ambassador Davide, 20 July 2007
• Press Conference by Indigenous Peoples' Caucus, UN Department of Public Information, 18 July 2007
• Letter from Ambassador Davide to Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, UN General Assembly President, 13 July 2007
• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Letter to Ambassador Davide about his consultation on behalf of the UN General Assembly President, Indigenous Peoples' Caucus, 13 July 2007
• Report to the General Assembly President on the Consultation on the draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Ambassador Davide, 13 July 2007
• UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Letter from Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, UN General Assembly President, to all member states, 6 June 2007
• Letter to the President of the General Assembly re the African Group draft proposal to amend the text of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Peoples' Caucus, 22 May 2007
• Letter to the General Assembly President with draft Resolution calling for Adoption of the Declaration, Mexico and other UN member states, 14 May 2007
• Letter to the President of the General Assembly calling for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to be presented as soon as possible for adoption, Indigenous Peoples' Caucus, 11 May 2007
• UN General Assembly defers action on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, UN Department of Public Information, 20 December 2006
• Resolution on the Declaration adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the Third Committee, A/RES/61/178, 20 December 2006 - Recorded vote (see Draft Resolution II, page 10)
• UN Third Committee votes to defer action concerning Declaration on Indigenous Peoples's rights, UN Department of Public Information, 28 November 2006
• GA Third Committee: Proposal calling for deferral of the adoption of the Declaration by the General Assembly (Namibia, on behalf of the African Group), 21 November 2006, A/C.3/61/L.57/Rev.1 - adopted by recorded vote on 28 November 2006 [Note: the final vote whereby this proposal succeeded was on A/C.3/61/L.18/Rev.1, as amended by the acceptance of A/C.3/61/L.57/Rev.1 in an earlier vote]
• GA Third Committee: Proposal calling for immediate adoption of the Declaration by the General Assembly (Main sponsor, Peru), A/C.3/61/L.18/Rev.1, 20 November 2006 - later amended by A/C.3/61/L.57/Rev.1 above
• Draft resolution calling for adoption of the Declaration by the UN General Assembly, Various UN member states, 31 October 2006
• Resolution on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples , Human Rights Council, 29 June 2006
• Human Rights Council adopts texts for protection from enforced disppearance and rights of indigenous peoples, UNOG Report, 29 June 2006
• Report of the Working Group on the draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - includes comments by the Chairperson-Rapporteur Mr Luis-Enrique Chavez, and a table with the Sub-Commission text and the Chair's text, 16 March 2006

• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - petition to parliament - deadline for return of signatures is 5 December 2008. Please note, signatures must be submitted on this printed form or they will not be accepted by the Office of the Clerk. If you have any difficulty opening or printing this petition, please contact us and we will post copies to you.
• Act now to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Peace Movement Aotearoa, updated November 2008
• Act now to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 13 September 2008
• NZ votes against indigenous peoples' rights at the UN as Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is adopted by overwhelming majority, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 14 September 2007 - includes UN News article and UN DPI summary of NZ government's statement
• Statement to the General Assembly by the NZ government representative, 13 September 2007
• On the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 9 August 2007 - includes an update on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and information on NZ government investments in companies involved in the violation of indigenous peoples' human rights
• Act now! UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 15 June 2007   - html version     - pdf version
• Statement by the NZ government representative to the Third Committee (UN General Assembly) on why the NZ government will not support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 28 November 2006
• The Rights of Indigenous Peoples: a discussion of the UN Declaration and response to New Zealand's objections, Claire Charters, October 2006
• Statements by the NZ government representative, to the Third Committee (UN General Assembly), 16 October 2006 - on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (on behalf of NZ, Australia and US); and on 'Mission to New Zealand', the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, speech to the UN General Assembly, 22 September 2006
• Initiative on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust, 21 August 2006
• Letter from Helen Clark, Prime Minister, 11 September 2006
• Letter from Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2006
• Act today for indigenous peoples' rights, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 27 June 2006 (updated 29 June)
• NZ actively opposes any UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, Aroha Mead, 22 June 2006
• Letter drafted to the NZ government, by Moana Jackson on behalf of the 60+ people who participated in the dDRIP seminar on 17 June 2006 at Te Papa, 22 June 2006
• Statement by Don MacKay, NZ government representative, at the Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, 21 June 2006 - see sixth paragraph for the government's position on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Analysis of the Chair's text, Estebancio Castro Diaz and Tracey Whare, 15 June 2006
• Updated: Act now! for Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 8 March 2006     - html version     - pdf version
• Report on the resumed session of the Working Group on the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Meeting - 30 January to 3 February 2006, Claire Charters, 11 February 2006
• Letter to the Prime Minister re the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, 27 January 2006
• Letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs re the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Joan Macdonald, 26 January 2006
• Act now! for Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 22 January 2006     - html version     - pdf version
• Petition with 1,073 signatories delivered to NZ government requesting Maori participation in NZ government position on the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Aroha Mead, 18 January 2006
• Public Participation on NZ government position on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, online petition
• Report on the Working Group on the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Meeting - 5 to 16 December 2005, Claire Charters, 22 December 2005
• Two media releases: New Zealand Government considered 'hostile' toward Indigenous Peoples everywhere and Amnesty International criticise New Zealand government proposal to the UN, Pacific Centre for Participatory Democracy, 16 December 2005
• A Response to the Self-Determination Proposal of Australia, New Zealand and the United States Explanatory Note, Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust, 15 December 2005
• Joint Non-Indigenous NGOs Statement on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Various, 14 December 2005

• New Zealand Nukes Indigenous Peoples Right to Self-Determination, American Indian Law Alliance, 14 December 2005

• International Indigenous Peoples' Rights Movement Alarmed by New Zealand's Policy on Indigenous Peoples' Self-Determination at the UN, American Indian Law Alliance and other indigenous organisations, 8 December 2005