 |
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
presented the Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
to the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), with a
view towards the possible adoption of a Declaration. For the first time in the
organization's history, there has been dialogue in high level meetings within
the OAS, between representatives of the member States and an Indigenous
Committee of the Americas. A Working Group to prepare the Draft American
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been created. A special
meeting of this Working Group took place in the Hall of the Americas at the
headquarters of the OAS in Washington, D.C. in April 2001. This special session
was chaired by Ambassador Ronalth Ochaeta Argueta, Permanent Representative of
Guatemala to the OAS, President of the Working Group, Commission on Juridical
and Political Affairs, Permanent Council of the OAS.
Ambassador Eduardo Ferrero Costa, Permanent Representative of Peru to the OAS,
President of the Working Group, Commission on Juridical and Political Affairs,
Permanent Council of the OAS, chaired the subsequent Special Meeting of the
Working Group in 2002.
SUCCESSFUL OAS WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
A Report by the Indian Law Resource Center on the
Third Special Session of the OAS Working Group
on the Proposed American Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(March 11-15, 2002)
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE WORKING
GROUP TO PREPARE THE
DRAFT AMERICAN DECLARATION ON THE
RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Washington, D.C. March 11 - 15, 2002
DOCUMENTS
Permanent Council of the OAS Committee on
Political and Juridical Affairs
American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
AG/RES. 1780
(XXXI-O/01)
Resolution from the Permanent Council "Specific Fund
to support the elaboration
of the American Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
CP/RES. 817
(1319/02)
Agenda
GT/DADIN/doc.46/01 rev. 4
DRAFT AMERICAN DECLARATION
ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Working
document comparing the original draft of the Inter-American Commission on Human
Rights, proposals by the States and by the indigenous representatives, as well
as the proposed draft by the Chair of the Working Group to Prepare the Draft
American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
GT/DADIN/doc.53/02
Convocation
GT/DADIN/doc.54/02
Lista de Documentos (Textual)
GT/DADIN/doc.55/02 rev. 2
Contents of the Draft Declaration
GT/DADIN/doc.62/02
Lista de Participantes (Textual)
GT/DADIN/doc.63/02 rev. 1
Proposal by the Delegation of the United States
GT/DADIN/doc.66/02 rev. 2
Summaries of the presentations made by the Panel of Experts GT/DADIN/doc.67/02
Comments by the Delegation of Canada on articles VII through XVIII
and on the
issue of self-determination in the
Proposed American Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples GT/DADIN/doc.69/02
Proposals presented by the States and the representatives
of indigenous
peoples on the articles
considered at the Special Meeting
GT/DADIN/doc.71/02
Comments by the Delegation of Suriname
GT/DADIN/doc.72/02
Comments of the Delegation of Guyana
GT/DADIN/doc.73/02
Declaration Indigenous Caucus in the
framework of the Special Meeting GT/DADIN/doc.74/02
Draft resolution on the Permanent Fund of
Voluntary Contributions of the
Organization of American States
for the Indigenous Peoples
GT/DADIN/doc.75/02
Comments by the Delegation of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
GT/DADIN/doc.76/02
Comments of the United States Delegatio
GT/DADIN/doc.77/02
Presentation of Fergus MacKay, Coordinator,
legal and Human Rights Programme,
Forest Peoples Programme
GT/DADIN/DOC.78/02
Report of the Rapporteur
GT/DADIN/doc.83/02
-
Working document comparing the
original draft of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,
proposals by the States and by the indigenous representatives, as well
as the proposed draft by the Chair of the Working Group to Prepare the
Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
-
- January 9, 2002
Mohawk Chief Edward Gray
Haudenosaunee
March 11, 2002
- Speaking in his own language,
Chief Gray set the tone for the spirit of the Working Group, offering
a traditional Thanksgiving Greeting to delegates assembled
together in the Hall of the Americas during the Inaugural Session at
the OAS.
Mr. Gray's words reminded those present to honour the seasons, the
trees, the beans, corn and squash, the different animals, the sun and
the moon, all of what the Creator has made. As he translated his
ancestral words, he explained the meaning of the greeting and how it
"brought all our minds together for today's session."
Inauguration of the Working Group
Press Release
OAS OPENS MEETING TO LOOK AT RIGHTS FOR
HEMISPHERE'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
A special voluntary fund to facilitate
indigenous peoples' input in crafting a hemispheric Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples has moved one step closer to becoming
reality.
At the inauguration of a special meeting at the Organization of American
States (OAS) in Washington on Monday Peru's Ambassador, Eduardo Ferrero
Costa, announced that he had submitted a draft resolution to establish
the special fund to the OAS Working Group mandated to prepare the draft
declaration. The Peruvian diplomat chairs that Working Group, which also
organized this weeklong meeting.
He said the Working Group hopes to give the OAS Permanent Council a
"consensus document" as soon as possible, containing proposals emerging
from the last meeting of the Working Group, along with any others
submitted by representatives of indigenous groups.
"The aim is to establish a permanent and secure system affording broad
and representative participation by representatives of indigenous
peoples in the deliberations toward adoption of the Draft Declaration,"
declared Ambassador Ferrero Costa. He thanked the governments of Canada,
Finland and the United States for their "genuine commitment to the
indigenous cause" as well as their generous financial contributions that
have helped to bring more than 50 representatives of indigenous peoples
from around the Hemisphere to this week's gathering.
OAS Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi welcomed the delegates,
recalling how in the late 1930s the governments of the Americas at the
Eighth International Conference in Lima undertook to comprehensively
uplift the standard of living of the Hemisphere's indigenous groups.
"The action immediately following this was the creation of the
Inter-American Indian Institute, arising from the First Indian Congress,
held in Mexico,"
Ambassador Einaudi added.
He went on to state: "We are convinced that, taking a quiet and
progressive approach, the approval of the American Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples will be the finest demonstration that a
stronger democracy is now in place in the Americas, fostering better
relations between the state and indigenous peoples."
Speaking for the indigenous groups represented at the meeting, Lourdes
Tibán Guala, Vice President of the Ecuador-based Indigenous and Peasant
Movement of Cotopaxi, applauded the initiative of the proposed
Declaration. "This represents for us as well as the member states a
historic and urgent moral commitment for those who traditionally have
been marginalized."
A message was sent by Peru's First Lady, Eliane Karp de Toledo,
stressing Peru's commitment to defend its poor and to accord full
constitutional recognition to the rights of its own indigenous peoples.
This, she said, was reaffirmed when Peru joined other Andean nations in
signing the Macchu Picchu Declaration on July 29, 2001.
DBN suggests the following links for
further background to the speeches presented in the Inaugural Session.
REFERENCES TO COTAPAXI:
Mass Protest in Ecuador Push Back Austerity Moves
The Militant
February 26, 2001
By Maggie Trowe and Hilda Cuzco
|
