Oral Statement of Sanchay Chakma of AITPN under Agenda Item 15 of the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: Indigenous Issues

Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network welcomes the adoption of the Second Decade for the World’s Indigenous People by the General Assembly in its 59th session. However, it should not another excuse to seek extension of the mandate of the Open Ended Working Group Elaborating the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for another decade. Regrettably, one decade has been wasted for approximation of positions without adoption of any substantive articles of the Draft Declaration.
There are many governments who do not want to accord any rights to indigenous peoples to address their uniqueness. Even countries which have nothing directly at stake such as the United Kingdom sought to block the process by insisting on individual rights.
It is also equally true that a section of indigenous peoples representatives equally contributed to the lack of progress in the Draft Declaration. There is scope for revisiting the Draft Declaration as adopted by the Sub-Commission.
Mr. Chair, in our view, doubts will be raised as to the effectiveness of the Chairman/Rapporteur for the failure to reach consensus on any article in the last nine years.
We appeal to the Commission on Human Rights to extend the mandate of the Working Group on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for another session with a view to concluding the adoption of the Draft Declaration as soon as possible. We also request the Commission on Human Rights to consider as to whether appointment of other Chairman/Rapporteur would help to speed up the process for adoption of the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and take decision accordingly.
Mr. Chair we are aware of the review of all existing mechanisms, procedures and programmes within the United Nations concerning indigenous issues, as mandated in paragraph 8 of ECOSOC resolution 2000/22. The Working Group on Indigenous Populations played a critical role and will continue to play a critical role for standard setting on the rights of indigenous peoples. However, due to the lack of progress in the adoption of the core document, the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the WGIP is slowing being killed.