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Attorney: Kim Gottschalk
Case Update
On September 13, 2007, the United
Nations General Assembly
overwhelmingly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The vote was 143 in favor, 4 opposed,
and 11 abstaining. The only votes in
opposition were Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, and the United States. The new
Prime Minister of Australia has indicated
Australia will support the Declaration.
This historic vote comes after 30 years of
worldwide indigenous efforts.
The Declaration recognizes that
indigenous peoples have important
collective human rights in a multitude of
areas, including self-determination,
spirituality, and lands, territories and
natural resources. The Declaration sets
out minimum standards for the treatment
of indigenous peoples and can serve as
the basis for the development of
customary international law. The 7th
meeting of the Permanent Forum on
Indigenous' Issues took place at the UN
in New York City from April 21-May 2,
2008. The special theme of the session
was climate change, a crucial issue for
Indigenous Peoples worldwide.
President Evo Morales of Bolivia
addressed the forum.
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