Thursday, November 28, 2013

UNGA Third Committee Resolution: Rights of Indigenous Peoples

United Nations A/C.3/68/L.30/Rev.1
General Assembly Distr.: Limited
20 November 2013
Original: English
13-57517 (E) 211113
*1357517*
Sixty-eighth session
Third Committee
Agenda item 66 (a)
Rights of indigenous peoples
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belize, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil,
Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of): revised draft resolution
Rights of indigenous peoples
The General Assembly,
Recalling all relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, the Human Rights
Council and the Economic and Social Council relating to the rights of indigenous
peoples,
Reaffirming its resolutions 65/198 of 21 December 2010, 66/142 of
19 December 2011 and 67/153 of 20 December 2012,
Reaffirming also its resolution 66/296 of 17 September 2012 on the
organization of the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, to be
known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, to be held on 22 and
23 September 2014, and noting with appreciation its inclusive preparatory process,
as well as the participation of representatives of indigenous peoples in the
Conference,
Recalling the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples,1 which addresses their individual and collective rights,
Inviting Governments and indigenous peoples to organize international or
regional conferences and other thematic events to contribute to the preparations for
the Conference, and encouraging the participation of the three United Nations
mechanisms on indigenous peoples2 at these events,
__________________
1 Resolution 61/295, annex.
2 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
and Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the rights of indigenous peoples.
A/C.3/68/L.30/Rev.1
2/5 13-57517
Welcoming the engagement of indigenous peoples in the preparations for the
World Conference, including at the regional and global levels, and encouraging their
continued and active engagement,
Recalling its resolution 59/174 of 20 December 2004 on the Second
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (2005-2014) and its
resolution 60/142 of 16 December 2005 on the Programme of Action for the Second
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, in which it adopted
“Partnership for action and dignity” as the theme for the Second Decade,
Welcoming the achievements made during the Second International Decade of
the World’s Indigenous People, and recognizing that challenges remain in finding
the solutions to the problems faced by indigenous peoples in such areas as
traditional knowledge, culture, education, health, human rights, the environment and
social and economic development,
Stressing the importance of promoting and pursuing the objectives of the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples also through
international cooperation to support national and regional efforts to achieve the ends
of the Declaration, including the right to maintain and strengthen the distinct
political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions of indigenous peoples and
the right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and
cultural life of the State,
Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration,3 the 2005 World
Summit Outcome4 and the outcome document of the high-level plenary meeting of
the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals,5
Recalling also the outcome document, entitled “The future we want”, of the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, from 20 to 22 June 2012,6
Recalling further Human Rights Council resolutions 24/9 of 26 September
2013, entitled “Human rights and indigenous peoples: mandate of the Special
Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples”, by which the Council decided to
extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples,
and 24/10 of 26 September 2013, entitled “Human rights and indigenous peoples”,
Recalling Commission on the Status of Women resolutions 49/7 of 11 March
2005, entitled “Indigenous women: beyond the ten-year review of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action”,7 and 56/4 of 9 March 2012, entitled
“Indigenous women: key actors in poverty and hunger eradication”,8
Recalling also the first Peoples’ World Conference on Climate Change and the
Rights of Mother Earth, hosted by the Plurinational State of Bolivia in Cochabamba
from 20 to 22 April 2010,9
__________________
3 Resolution 55/2.
4 Resolution 60/1.
5 Resolution 65/1.
6 Resolution 66/288, annex.
7 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2005, Supplement No. 7 and
corrigendum (E/2005/27 and Corr.1), chap. I, sect. D.
8 Ibid., 2012, Supplement No. 7 and corrigendum (E/2012/27 and Corr.1), chap. I, sect. D.
9 See A/64/777, annexes I and II.
A/C.3/68/L.30/Rev.1
13-57517 3/5
Taking note of the regional review conferences on population and
development, including the Regional Conference on Population and Development in
Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Montevideo, from 12 to 15 August 2013,
which included “Indigenous peoples: interculturalism and rights” as part of the
Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development adopted at the Conference,
Welcoming the global launch of the International Year of Quinoa, 2013, and the
high-level panel discussion on food security and nutrition, held on 20 February
2013, which constituted one of the first steps in an ongoing process, focusing the
world’s attention on the important role of quinoa, promoting the traditional
knowledge of Andean indigenous peoples, contributing to the achievement of food
security, nutrition and poverty eradication and raising awareness of their
contribution to social, economic and environmental development, and inviting
Member States to share good practices on the implementation of activities in
support of the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals,
including the Millennium Development Goals,
Recognizing the value and the diversity of the cultures and the form of social
organization of indigenous peoples and their holistic traditional scientific
knowledge of their lands, natural resources and environment,
Recognizing also the importance of traditional sustainable agricultural
practices, including traditional seed supply systems, as well as access to credit and
other financial services, markets, secure land tenure, health care, social services,
education, training, knowledge and appropriate and affordable technologies,
including efficient irrigation, the reuse of treated wastewater and water harvesting
and storage for indigenous peoples and others living in rural areas,
Concerned about the extreme disadvantages that indigenous peoples have
typically faced across a range of social and economic indicators and about the
impediments to their full enjoyment of their rights,
Stressing the need to pay particular attention to the rights and special needs of
indigenous women, children, youth and persons with disabilities, as set out in the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including in the
process of protecting and promoting access to justice by indigenous peoples,
indigenous women, children, youth and persons with disabilities,
Recalling its resolution 65/198, by which it decided to expand the mandate of
the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations so that it could assist
representatives of indigenous peoples’ organizations and communities to participate
in sessions of the Human Rights Council and of human rights treaty bodies, on the
basis of diverse and renewed participation and in accordance with relevant rules and
regulations, including Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July
1996, and urged States to contribute to the Fund,
Recalling also its decision, in its resolution 66/296, to expand the mandate of
the Fund so that it can assist, in an equitable manner, representatives of indigenous
peoples, organizations, institutions and communities to participate in the World
Conference on Indigenous Peoples, including in the preparatory process, in
accordance with relevant rules and regulations,
1. Welcomes the work of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and of the Special
A/C.3/68/L.30/Rev.1
4/5 13-57517
Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the rights of indigenous peoples, takes
note of his report,10 and encourages all Governments to respond favourably to his
requests for visits;
2. Takes note of the outcome document of the Global Indigenous
Preparatory Conference for the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples,11 held in
Alta, Norway, in June 2013, and other proposals made by indigenous peoples, and
recommends that the four themes identified in the outcome document be taken into
account when considering the specific themes for the round-table and interactive
panel discussions for the World Conference;
3. Urges Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to continue to contribute to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for
Indigenous Populations and the Trust Fund for the Second International Decade of
the World’s Indigenous People, and invites indigenous organizations and private
institutions and individuals to do likewise;
4. Encourages those States that have not yet ratified or acceded to the
International Labour Organization Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989
(No. 169)12 to consider doing so and to consider supporting the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and welcomes the increased
support by States for the Declaration;
5. Encourages States, in consultation and cooperation with indigenous
peoples, to take the appropriate measures, including legislative measures, to achieve
the goals of the Declaration;
6. Encourages all interested parties, in particular indigenous peoples, to
disseminate and consider good practices at different levels as a practical guide on
how to attain the goals of the Declaration;
7. Stresses the need to strengthen the commitment of States and the entities
of the United Nations system to mainstream the promotion and protection of the
rights of indigenous peoples into the development agenda at the national, regional
and international levels, and encourages giving due consideration to the rights of
indigenous peoples in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda;
8. Decides to continue, at its sixty-ninth session, its consideration of ways
and means of promoting the participation of representatives of indigenous peoples at
meetings of relevant United Nations bodies and other relevant United Nations
meetings and processes on issues affecting indigenous peoples, on the basis of the
rules of procedure of such bodies and existing procedural rules and regulations of
the United Nations, taking into account the report of the Secretary-General,13
existing practices for the accreditation of representatives of indigenous peoples at
the United Nations and the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and notes the opportunity to further discuss this
matter within the framework of the high-level plenary meeting of the General
Assembly to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples;
__________________
10 A/68/317.
11 See A/67/994, annex.
12 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1650, No. 28383.
13 A/HRC/21/24.
A/C.3/68/L.30/Rev.1
13-57517 5/5
9. Requests that United Nations entities further enhance their coordination
and intensify their efforts towards a more coherent, comprehensive and integrated
approach to the rights of indigenous peoples through, inter alia, the Inter-Agency
Support Group on Indigenous Issues and the United Nations Indigenous Peoples’
Partnership, and calls upon the United Nations entities, in close collaboration with
Member States, organizations and institutions and representatives of indigenous
peoples, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and relevant partners, to
develop additional measures to continue to support national, regional and
international efforts to advance the rights of indigenous peoples;
10. Decides to change the title of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for
Indigenous Populations to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous
Peoples;
11. Also decides to continue consideration of the question at its sixty-ninth
session under the item entitled “Rights of indigenous peoples”.