Global efforts to support the human rights of indigenous peoples have reached a critical turning point as the draft UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples comes before the UN General Assembly for adoption later this year.

The Declaration had been under negotiation within the United Nations for more than two decades. In June 2006, the historic first meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the draft Declaration and recommended its adoption to the UN General Assembly. The Declaration must be adopted by UN General Assembly in order to become part of the body of international human rights standards.


For the text of the draft Declaration, please see www.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/declaration.htm

If you would like to sign the global petition calling for the adoption of the Declaration by the General Assembly, please see www.amnesty.ca/ip_un_petition/UN_indigenous_rights_petition.php