United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The efforts to draft a specific instrument dealing with the protection of Indigenous Peoples worldwide date back over several decades.  In 1982, the Working Group on Indigenous Populations was established and was one of the six working groups overseen by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the main subsidiary body of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (defunct 2006).

The Working Group was established as result of a study by José R. Martinez Cobo on the problem of discrimination faced by Indigenous Peoples throughout the world. The study outlined the oppression, marginalization and exploitation suffered by Indigenous Peoples.

The Working Group submitted a first draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples to the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, which was later approved in 1994. The Draft was sent for consideration to the then U.N. Commission on Human Rights for further discussion and if it was deemed to be appropriate, to approve the proposed declaration before its submission to ECOSOC and the U.N. General Assembly.

The process moved very slowly because of concerns expressed by States with regard to some of the core provisions of the draft declaration, namely the right to self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the control over natural resources existing on Indigenous Peoples’ traditional lands.

The need to accommodate these issues led to the creation, in 1995, of the open-ended inter-sessional working group to consider and elaborate on the 1994 draft declaration. The open-ended working group hoped that the instrument would be adopted by the General Assembly within the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004). Since this did not take place, the mandate of the working group was extended by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights into the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (2005-2015).

In 2006, revisions to the human rights machinery within the United Nations resulted in the replacement of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights with the U.N. Human Rights Council. On 29 June 2006, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

On 28 December 2006, the Third Committee of the General Assembly (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) adopted a draft resolution to defer consideration and action on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the General Assembly, with the aim of concluding consideration of the Declaration before the end of its current sixty-first session.

Under a revised draft resolution, whose main sponsor was Peru, with a number of European and Latin American countries listed as co-sponsors, the full text would have been adopted by the Assembly in relatively short order.

But an initiative led by Namibia, co-sponsored by a number of African countries, resulted in the draft being amended. In its new form, the draft would have the Assembly decide “to defer consideration and action on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to allow time for further consultations thereon”. Furthermore, the Assembly would also decide “to conclude consideration of the Declaration before the end of its sixty-first session”.

Finally, on 13 September 2007, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by a majority of 144 states in favour, 4 votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine). Click here to view the voting record. Since adoption of the Declaration, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada have all reversed their positions and expressed support for the Declaration. Colombia and Samoa have also endorsed the Declaration.

During the Durban Review Conference in April 2009, 182 States from all regions of the world reached consensus on an outcome document in which they “ Welcome[d] the adoption of the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples which has a positive impact on the protection of victims and, in this context, urge[d] States to take all necessary measures to implement the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with international human rights instruments without discrimination…” (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Outcome document of the Durban Review Conference , 24 April 2009, para. 73).

Message by Victoria Tauli Corpuz, Chairperson of UNPFII

Statement by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Statement by Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Statement by Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of UNPFII to the General Assembly

Press Release

Media Advisory

Tenth Anniversary (2017)

According to General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/70/232) adopted on 23 December 2015, the General Assembly:

“4. Reaffirms the decision to convene a high-level event to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to be held during the seventy-first session of the General Assembly, in 2017, and that the event will take stock of the achievements of the preceding 10 years and assess the remaining challenges for the rights of indigenous peoples, and also consider the further follow-up to the Declaration, including the consideration of a third International Decade;”

And according to General Assembly resolution (A/RES/69/159) on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, of 18 December 2014, the General Assembly:

“5. Decides to convene a high-level event to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to be held during the seventy-first session of the General Assembly, in 2017, and that the event will take stock of the achievements of the preceding 10 years and assess the remaining challenges for the rights of indigenous peoples, and also consider the further follow-up to the Declaration, including the consideration of a third International Decade;”

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Fifth Anniversary (2012)

According to General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/66/142) adopted on 19 December 2011, the General Assembly:

“6. Request(ed) the Secretary-General, in coordination with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to convene, within existing resources, a high-level event during the eleventh session of the Forum to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in order to raise awareness of the importance of pursuing its objectives;”

Following the provisions of the resolution, a High-level Commemoration of the Fifth Anniversary of the Adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was held on 17 May 2012.

Programme

• Programme of work

Webcast

• Webcast of the High- Level Commemoration

Statements and messages

• Statement by UNPFII Chairperson Grand Chief Ed John
• Message from H.E. Danilo Turk, President of the Republic of Slovenia
• Statement by H.E. Luis Alfonso de Alba, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations
• Statement by H.E. Carlos Enrique Garcia Gonzales, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations
• Statement by H.E. Carsten Staur, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations
• Statement by the Arctic Caucus
• Statement by the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus

Press Conference

• Video
• Article

Ninth Anniversary (2016)

On 13 September 2016, the United Nations celebrated the ninth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by drawing attention to the continued relevance and importance of the UN Declaration today.

The day started with a press conference, where Chandra Roy-Henriksen, Chief of the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in UN DESA’s Division of Social Policy and Development, Reaghan Tarbell, Indigenous film maker, and Americo Mendoza-Mori, Professor and founder of Quechua language programme at the University of Pennsylvania, gave their perspectives on the UN Declaration and why it is still crucial today as a tool to ensure the rights of indigenous peoples.

In the evening, the anniversary of the UN Declaration was marked with an Indigenous film event about Indigenous Peoples and cultural survival in cities. Several hundred people came to the United Nations to see the screening of “From Brooklyn and Back: A Mohawk Journey” by Mohawk film maker, Reaghan Tarbell” and “Bronx Llaktamanta” by Quechua film maker, Doris Loayza – two films that tell the stories of Indigenous Peoples, sustaining their communities, languages and identities in New York, far from their ancestral homes.

The film event opened with remarks by the Director of UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, Ms. Daniela Bas, who emphasized the relevance of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in implementation of the 2030 Agenda – and welcomed indigenous artists and film makers and their important role in promoting indigenous cultures.

After the film screenings, the two Indigenous film makers, Reahan Tarbell and Doris Loyaza, were joined by Segundo Angagamarca who runs a Kichwa Radio Programme in New York. The three engaged in a Q&A session with the moderator, Damian Cardona Onses, Acting Chief of the Communications Campaigns Service in the United Nations Department of Public Information.

Useful links

• Programme for the film night
• Radio interview with Reaghan Tarbell
• Press conference
• Joint statement by the 3 UN mechanisms pertaining to indigenous peoples

UN DESA coverage

• Celebrating the 9th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with an indigenous film night
• Film night to celebrate indigenous peoples’ cultures and identities in cities

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Eight Anniversary (2015)

Click here to view the statement by the Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Professor Megan Davis, on the eighth anniversary of the Declaration, 13 September 2015.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (A/RES/61/295) – Official UN languages

English | Español | Français | Русский | عربي | 汉语 (PDF version)
English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语 (Official Resolution Text)

Adolescent friendly version

Know your Rights:
Adolescent friendly version of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
English

Conoce tus Derechos:
Declaración de la ONU sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas para adolescentes
Español

Декларация Организации Объединенных Наций о правах коренных народов:для детей подросткового возраста из числа коренных народов
Русский

Other languages

Note that these are unofficial translations provided to the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The terminologies used in the translations do not necessarily reflect that of the United Nations.

Arawok (spoken in Surname) – provided by UNDP Suriname

Aucan (spoken in Surname) – provided by UNDP Suriname

Aymara – provided by COINCABOL

Bahasa/Indonesian – provided by West Papua Interest Association

Belarusian

Bisaya (spoken in the Philippines) – provided by Tebtebba

Bodo (Boro) Spoken in India – provided by Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples North East Zone

Carib (spoken in Surname) – provided by UNDP Suriname

Cha’palaa (spoken in Equador) – provided by UNICEF, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office

Catalan – provided by alterNativa Intercanvi amb Pobles Indígenes

Crimean Tatar, provided by the Foundation of Research and Support of Indigenous Peoples of Crimea

Degar (spoken in Vietnam) povided by the Montagnard Foundation.

Dutch, provided by the Netherlands Center for Indigenous Peoples

Danish – provided by the Greenland Home Rule Government

Finnish– provided by the Government of Finland

German – provided by the German Translation Section of the United Nations

Greek – provided by UNRIC Brussels

Greenlandic – provided by the Greenland Home Rule Government

Guaraní – provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Paraguay

Hindi – provided by UNIC, India

Ilokano (spoken in the Philippines) – provided by Tebtebba

Innu (spoken in Innu-aimun) – provided by Innu Council of Nitassinan/Institut Tshakapesh

Italian – provided by the University of Torino

Japanese

Karaim – provided by UNIC, Warsaw

Karelian (Karjala)–a Finno-Ugric language spoken mainly in the Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation) and partly in Finland–unofficial translation

Khmer – provided by RIPP/UNDP

Kichua (spoken in the Andes) – provided by UNICEF, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office

Kituba – provided by UNIC, Congo

Kuna – (spoken in Panama)

Kwéyòl (spoken in Saint Lucia)

Komi (Komi kyv)–a Finno-Ugric language spoken by the Komi people in the northeastern European part of Russia–unofficial tranlsation

Lingala – provided by UNIC, Congo

Livvi-Karelian (Livvi)–a Finno-Ugric language spoken mainly in the Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation) and partly in Finland–unofficial translation

Malay – provided by RIPP/UNDP

Maori (spoken in New Zealand)

Maya – (spoken in Central America)

Mapuche – provided by UNIC, Argentina

Miskito (spoken in Nicaragua and Honduras)

Mohawk (spoken in North America)

Náhuatl (spoken in Mexico)

Nanai (spoken in Russia–Provided by Sakhalin Energy)

Norwegian – provided by the Government of Norway

Nepali – provided by Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities

Persian – provided by UNIC, Tehran

Pilipino – provided by Tebtebba Foundation, Philippines

Polish – provided by UNIC, Warsaw

Portugues – provided by UN Information Centre, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sámi (North) – provided by Finnish Sámi Parliament

Sámi (Inari) – provided by Finnish Sámi Parliament

Sámi (Skolt)– provided by Finnish Sámi Parliament

Thai – provided by RIPP/UNDP

Trio (spoken in Suriname) – provided by UNDP Suriname

Turkish – provided by UNIC, Turkey

Uilta – (spoken in the Russian Federation) – provided by Sakhalin Energy

Ukrainian – provided by Ukrainian Institute of legislation

Veps (Vepsä)–a Finno-Ugric language spoken by the Vepsians in the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad and Vologda regions of the Russian Federation–unofficial tranlsation

Wajana (spoken in Suriname) – provided by UNDP Suriname

Wichi – provided by UNIC, Argentina

FAQs on the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

PeRs Declaração das Nações Unidas sobre os Direitos dos Povos Indígenas

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: a conversation with experts