Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
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FRIDAY at 1:00 pm
UN Special Rapporteur on indigenous peoples discusses his U.S. visit
WASHINGTON (3 May 2012) – United Nations Special Rapporteur
James Anaya will discuss his visit to examine the situation of indigenous
peoples in the United States.
Date: Friday, 4 May
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Place: United Nations Conference Room
1775 K Street, NW #400
Washington, DC 20006
To RSVP or get information about participating via
conference call: 202-331-8670
Adopted in 2007, the UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for
the survival, dignity, well being, and rights of indigenous peoples around the
world. For more on the Declaration: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/512/07/PDF/N0651207.pdf
The Special Rapporteur, who is an independent expert, is
visiting at the invitation of the U.S. Government and indigenous Nations and
organizations. He will present his findings in a forthcoming session of the UN
Human Rights Council.
His mission, from 23 April to 4 May 2012, was the first to
the United States by an independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights
Council to report on the rights of the indigenous peoples. He visited
Washington, D.C., Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, South Dakota and Oklahoma, holding
discussions and consultations with federal and state government officials,
indigenous nations and their representatives, and civil society groups on the
human rights of the indigenous peoples. For more on his schedule:
www.unsr.jamesanaya.org
For more information --
About James Anaya:
The UN Human Rights Council appointed S. James Anaya as
Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples in March 2008. Mr. Anaya
is a Regents Professor and the James J. Lenoir Professor of Human Rights Law
and Policy at the University of Arizona. For more:
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/rapporteur/
About UN special rapporteurs:
The Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council are
independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human
rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. The system of Special
Procedures is a central element of the United Nations human rights machinery
and covers all rights: civil, cultural, economic, political, and social.
With the support of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Procedures undertake country visits
(fact-finding missions); act on individual cases and concerns of a broader,
structural nature by sending communications to States in which they bring
alleged violations to their attention; conduct thematic studies and convene
expert consultations, develop international human rights standards, engage in
advocacy, raise public awareness, and provide advice and support for technical
cooperation. Special Procedures report annually to the Human Rights Council;
the majority of the mandates also report to the General Assembly.
The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working
Groups serve in their personal capacities and undertake to uphold independence,
efficiency, competence and integrity through probity, impartiality, honesty and
good faith. They are not United Nations staff members and do not receive
financial remuneration. For more:
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/SP/SPVisualDirectory_Accessible.pdf
About the United States’ role on the UN Human Rights
Council:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/USIndex.aspx
For media inquiries:
In New York: Fred Kirungi (+1 917 367 3431 / kirungi@un.org)
In Washington: Deborah DeYoung (+1 202 454 2107 /
ddeyoung@unicwash.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, OHCHR Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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