AG/RES. 1479 (XXVII-O/97)

"PROPOSED AMERICAN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES"

(Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on June 5, 1997)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council on the Annual Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (AG/doc.3492/97); and

CONSIDERING:

That, through resolution AG/RES. 1022 (XIX-O/89), the General Assembly requested the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to prepare a declaration on the rights of indigenous populations; and

That, on April 10, 1997, the Permanent Council received the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" (CP/doc.2878/97 corr. 1), prepared by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,

RESOLVES:

1. To express its appreciation for and take note of the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," prepared by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

2. To instruct the Permanent Council to study the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

3. To express the view that the text of the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" should reflect the concerns of indigenous populations as well as the work of the United Nations in this area.

4. To urge the member states to present to the Permanent Council, by December 31, 1997, their observations and recommendations on the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

5. To request the Inter-American Juridical Committee and the Inter-American Indian Institute to transmit to the Permanent Council their comments on the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," taking into account any observations and recommendations presented by the member states.

6. To instruct the Permanent Council to convene a meeting of government experts in this field, within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, upon receipt of the observations and comments referred to in the preceding paragraphs, and once it has carried out other activities it deems pertinent, with a view to the possible adoption of the "Proposed American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" by the General Assembly at its twenty-eighth regular session.