Indigenous Caucus Statement

"As the world community may know, the United Nations draft Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples represents a statement of the minimum standards

by which Indigenous Peoples will be able to maintain and sustain their

distinct nations, peoples and communities.

We call upon the United Nations to confirm the rights of Indigenous Peoples,

so that marginalisation and manifest discrimination against Indigenous

Peoples around the world can be addressed.

At this time, State members of the United Nations continue to express an

unwillingness to recognize and respect our fundamental collective and

individual human rights, including that of self-determination, which is

considered a pre-requisite to the exercise of all rights.

Indigenous Peoples are peoples and have the full right to

self-determination.

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was approved by the

Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

eight years ago, but only two of the forty five (45) articles have been

subsequently endorsed in the working group."