PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE                                             OEA/Ser.K/XVI

             ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES                                     GT/DADIN/doc.80/02

                                                                                                                        25 April 2002

COMMITTEE ON JURIDICAL AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS                         Original: Spanish

 

                          Working Group to Prepare the

                 Draft American Declaration on the Rights

                                of Indigenous Peoples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DRAFT RESOLUTION

 

AMERICAN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS

OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

 

(Proposal by the Chair of the Working Group)

 

DRAFT RESOLUTION

 

AMERICAN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS

OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

 

 

 

            THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

 

RECALLING its resolutions AG/RES. 1022 (XIX-O/89), AG/RES. 1479 (XXVII-O/97), AG/RES. 1549 (XXIX-O/99), AG/RES. 1708 (XXX-O/00), and AG/RES. 1780 (XXXI-O/01);

 

BEARING IN MIND that the heads of state and government of the Hemisphere, in the Declaration of Quebec City, supported efforts towards early and successful conclusion of negotiations on the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and, in the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas, agreed to advance negotiations within the OAS on the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a view toward its earliest possible conclusion and adoption;

 

CONSIDERING the commitments assumed in this area by the Presidents of the Andean Community Member Countries in the Machu Picchu Declaration on Democracy, the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the War against Poverty[E1] ;

 

REAFFIRMING the importance and priority attached to indigenous issues and to the discussions under way at the Organization on the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

 

RECOGNIZING the progress made on indigenous matters in the Hemisphere, including those of various states that have incorporated recognition of the multiethnic, pluricultural, and multilingual nature of these societies into their constitutional and legislative systems;

 

CONVINCED of the need to continue supporting efforts to reach a prompt and successful conclusion to negotiations on the aforementioned Draft Declaration;

 

RECOGNIZING that participation by representatives of indigenous peoples and their valuable contributions on the topics addressed in the Draft Declaration are important to this process;

 

[NOTING the appointment ad honorem of a special adviser to the Secretary General to support the efforts of the Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;] and

 

HAVING SEEN the report of the Chair of the Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (GT/DADIN/doc.XX/02),

 

RESOLVES:

 

1.                   To reaffirm as a priority of the Organization of American States the adoption of the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, emphasizing the importance of participation by indigenous peoples in preparing the Draft Declaration.

 

2.                   To commend the progress made at the Special Meeting of the Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, held at OAS headquarters from March 11 to 15, 2002, in that it enhanced the process of open and transparent dialogue among the OAS member states and representatives of indigenous peoples.

 

3.                   To renew the mandate of the Working Group to continue its consideration of the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

4.                   To recognize the importance of the establishment, by the Permanent Council, of the Specific Fund to Support the Preparation of the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with ample indigenous representation, and having as its main objective that of facilitating participation by representatives of indigenous peoples in the preparation of the Draft Declaration.

 

5.                   To instruct the Permanent Council:

 

a.                   To adopt measures to strengthen the process of ongoing dialogue with representatives of indigenous peoples to achieve the prompt and successful conclusion of negotiations on the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

 

b.                   To convene at least one special meeting of the Working Group, to be held no later than March 31, 2003, for continued consideration of the Draft Declaration, with participation by representatives of indigenous peoples;

c.                   To hold other meetings of the Working Group on specific topics relating to the Draft Declaration, in which experts and representatives of indigenous peoples will participate, and which will promote better understanding of central aspects of the Draft Declaration;

 

d.                   To promote information exchange among member states on “best practices” relating to national consultations with indigenous peoples; and

 

e.                   To promote awareness, integration, and coordination of activities relating to indigenous issues within the Organization.

 

6.                   To encourage governments to consider:

 

a.                   Establishing mechanisms for national consultation with representatives of indigenous peoples, to facilitate the process of preparing the Draft Declaration;

 

b.                   Developing and strengthening their ties with indigenous peoples in decision-making on matters that concern them; and

 

c.                   To contribute to the Specific Fund to Support the Preparation of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

7.                   To request the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Juridical Committee, the Inter-American Indian Institute, and other international organizations and agencies to continue lending the necessary support and advisory services to the Working Group.

 

8.                   To instruct the Secretary General to enhance coordination, awareness, promotion, and integration of activities relating to indigenous issues among the various bodies and dependencies of the Organization.

CP09674E04
 
 


9.                   To invite the organizations, development banks, and specialized multilateral agencies of the Hemisphere:

 

a.                   To contribute, in their areas of competence, to establishing a process of dialogue and consultation among indigenous peoples and among those peoples and the states; and

 

b.                   To identify contact points to facilitate exchange and coordination, with the Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and with the Permanent Council, on programs and activities relating to indigenous peoples.

 

10.               To request the Permanent Council to present a report to the General Assembly at its thirty-third regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

 [E1]Source:  Andean Community website.  EYoder