On April 20, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted resolutions
to continue the work of both the Working Group on indigenous populations (WGIP)
and the Working Group to elaborate a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples under the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Despite some opposition, especially from the United States, the Commission showed
overwhelming support for these bodies.
Other resolutions passed on the topic of indigenous issues included a request
to the Secretary-General to ensure that the Special Advisor for the Prevention
of Genocide takes into consideration the need to protect indigenous peoples
and their territories. The Commission also recommended that the Economic and
Social Council authorize follow-up expert seminars on earlier studies that
addressed indigenous peoples’ permanent sovereignty over native resources
and indigenous peoples’ relationship to land.
