2.2

Indigenous peoples' rights have been recognized by international bodies at the United Nations, as well as at regional human rights systems such as the Organization of American States, African Union, and European Union.

These organizations provide complaint mechanisms against human rights abuses. While most of these international bodies are sensitized to the rights of indigenous peoples, two comprehensive and exclusive bodies of law are pending-the U.N. Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the U.N.

Queme Chay, Guatemala's first indigenous mayor, finished a three day visit in July 2003 to Washington, D.C., campaigning to bring the profile of his presidential bid to an international audience. A large part of Queme Chay's political agenda has been improving Guatemala's dodgy human rights record, something the previous administrations have been reluctant to address.

The mayor's platform focuses primarily on the social and economic development of Guatemala's poor, many of whom are indigenous.

Awabakal YOUTHVISIONS is a collaborative strategy developed to give voice to some of the issues facing Indigenous youth in the Awabakal and wider communities of Australia. The Awabakal community is situated in Newcastle, New South Wales on the east coast of Australia. It is a unique community because it has become one of the main meeting places for indigenous peoples from all over Australia.

In an attempt to develop an efficient method of petroleum transport, Phenix Group, a Florida- based company, has decided to construct a coast-to-coast pipline through Nicaragua.

From an economic viewpoint the proposed plan seems brilliant, but for the indigenous communities inhabiting the land it would most likely be a disaster.