Agenda Item 9: Enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations
Wednesday July 10th, 2024
Joint Statement from the Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including:
Amnistie Francophone; Association Tinhinan; British Columbia Assembly of First Nations; British Columbia Treaty Commission; Canadian Friends Service Committee; Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) / Cree Nation Government; Metis National Council; Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs; Ellen Gabriel, Kanehsatà:ke Land Defender; Hup-Wil-Lax-A, Kirby Muldoe; International Chief Wilton Littlechild; Joshua Nichols, Professor McGill University; Lea Nicholas Mackenzie; Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine
We are pleased to present the following Joint Statement on behalf of a number of Indigenous Nations and organizations, as well as human rights organizations in Canada.
The Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples welcomes and supports the process for enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the Human Rights Council through two upcoming intersessional meetings, as per the decision in paragraph 16(a) of the Human Rights Council Resolution 54/12. We are particularly pleased that these meetings will provide further opportunity for Indigenous Peoples to make concrete recommendations on enhanced participation to the HRC. We look forward to working collaboratively on these important matters, with Indigenous Peoples and Member States.
We thank the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for organizing these intersessional meetings. We are very hopeful these meetings will be fruitful in moving forward the discussions with States and Indigenous Peoples. We would also like to note our appreciation to the OHCHR for appointing an Indigenous co-chair for the intersessional meetings, as suggested in EMRIP’s report last year.
Article 1 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms that Indigenous Peoples are subjects of international law and are deserving of the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Article 3 affirms the right of Self-determination. Realizing and operationalizing this right within the HRC includes supporting Indigenous Peoples Enhanced Participation.
Enhanced Participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the HRC and throughout the United Nations system is also a means to advance reconciliation, and to honour the original nation-to-nation relationship and promises, and the Treaties and foundational principles upon which initial and ongoing relations with Indigenous Peoples were established.