In a historic vote on September 13, 2007, 144 countries voted for the Declaration, 11 abstained, and only four (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States) voted against it. Since 2007, all four countries, including the United States, have reversed their positions and now officially endorse the Declaration.
The Declaration is the outcome of 25 years of hard negotiations. The rights spelled out in the document "constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world." The Declaration protects the collective rights and individual rights of Indigenous Peoples in relation to self-government, land, education, employment, health, and other areas.
The Declaration also requires countries to consult with Indigenous Peoples with the goal of obtaining their consent on matters that concern them. As explained by former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, the right of self-determination is "to be full and equal participants in the creation of the institutions of government under which they live and, further, to live within a governing institutional order in which they are perpetually in control of their own destinies."
While several countries have made steps towards aligning their policies with the standards enshrined in the Declaration, an implementation gap remains. "Governments around the world must honor their responsibilities to move from Declaration endorsement to adoption and align their domestic laws and policies with the rights, self-governance, and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples," says Cultural Survival Executive Director Aimee Roberson (Choctaw and Chickasaw).
Top Wins for Indigenous Peoples in 2023-2024
In celebration of the anniversary of the adoption of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Survival is taking a look back at the top wins for Indigenous Peoples over the past year. From historic landback cases to positive legal rulings, there has been important progress. Read more.
Cultural Survival has put togetherthis interactive timeline to display the history of the Declaration and progress towards its implementation since 2007.
Read our anniversary issue of the Cultural Survival Quarterly on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag) and human rights lawyer Michelle Cook (Diné), founder of Divest Invest Protect, speak about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples wampum belt.
Listen to our Indigenous Rights Radio podcasts on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
A Modern Declaration Weaved Into An Ancient Custom - The UNDRIP Wampum Belt
In this podcast, we share with you the incredible work of Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag) and human rights lawyer Michelle Cook (Diné), founder of Divest Invest Protect (DIP), on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples wampum belt. Indigenous artist and advocate Hartman Deetz looks to his ancestors, to his past, to wampum-- the ancient tool of art, law, ritual, and diplomacy to find guidance and ways forward for his people. The UNDRIP wampum belt is a means of teaching Indigenous human rights using and centering Indigenous Peoples' technology and pedagogical legal practices with wampum as both the medium and the message of accountability, healing, and change.
Les Malezer on Commemorating UNDRIP
Listen to Les Malezer (Gubbi Gubbi), former Expert member on the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,on commemorating the Declaration. Malezer with the Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus worked to advance the Declaration through the final stages to the UN General Assembly in 2007.
Escucha nuestros programas de radio sobre la Declaración de la ONU sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas en español.
Escuche y descargue los 46 articulos de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indigenas, junto con una explicación simple de que significa para usted y su comunidad.
Learn about the Articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Listen to our radio series breaking down each of the 46 articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Kakchiqel
Read the UN Declaration in Indigenous Languages
Aymara - provided by COINCABOL Guarani - provided by the UNDP, Paraguay Maori (spoken in New Zealand) Mapuche - provided by UNIC, Argentina Miskito (spoken in Nicaragua and Honduras) Mohawk (spoken in North America) Sami (North) - provided by Finnish Sámi Parliament
...and in more languages here.
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Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience since 1972. We envision a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.
