| United Nations: news index |
| UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT OF EVERYONE TO THE ENJOYMENT OF THE HIGHEST ATTAINABLE STANDARD OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH 4 December 2009 - Preliminary observations and recommendations 2009 Visit to AUSTRALIA |
Police transport of juveniles dangerous |
| Govts Failing Indigenous Declaration, U.N. Expert Says 19 October 2009 - UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - A top U.N. expert on human rights law called Monday for governments to match their words with deeds and make good on promises to respect indigenous communities' right to live as they wish. "The indigenous peoples are suffering everywhere," James Anaya, the U.N.'s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights of indigenous peoples, told a news conference after submitting a comprehensive report to the General Assembly's Third Committee. |
UN investigates Australia rights |
| Gap dividing Aborigines growing 2 July 2009 - BBC - A national report on Aboriginal social and economic trends in Australia has shown their condition has deteriorated. In particular it showed that the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous citizens has grown wider in areas like child abuse and domestic violence. |
| The Anchorage Declaration 24 April 2009 - The Anchorage Declaration - From 20-24 April, 2009, Indigenous representatives from the Arctic, North America, Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Africa, Caribbean and Russia met in Anchorage, Alaska for the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change. |
| Opportunity to end racism goes to waste 21 April 2009 - UNAA - THE decision of the Australian Government not to attend the UN Geneva Conference on racism is understandable but disappointing. The purpose of the conference is to reaffirm the commitment "to prevent, combat and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance", an aim that was adopted at the first conference on the subject in 2001 in Durban. |
Australia to shun UN racism talks |
| Indigenous rights declaration just the start 14 April 2009 - Australia has a long way to go to meet its UN obligations on Indigenous rights. Australia's endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, announced recently, comes in the midst of a number of United Nations Committee criticisms on Australia's record on Indigenous rights. |
| Bligh's callous land grab 11 April 2009 - Marcia Langton - ON Friday last week, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh effectively announced the gazettal of 13 rivers in Cape York Peninsula under the Wild Rivers Act, restricting the opportunity for local Aborigines to develop river areas for purposes such as farming and tourism, although claiming publicly that only three had been gazetted. |
| United we stand - Support for United Nations Indigenous Rights Declaration a watershed moment for Australia 3 April 2009 - AHRC - This morning’s formal support from the Australian Government for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is likely to go down in history as a watershed moment in Australia’s relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said today. |
| To really give rights to Indigenous people we must first Close the Gap 2 April 2009 - AHRC - The historic formal statement of support from the federal government for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples occurring this Friday should be backed immediately with a comprehensive national action plan to Close the Gap in health equality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said today. |
| 2,500 languages threatened with extinction: UNESCO 21 February 2009 - PARIS (AFP) - The world has lost Manx in the Isle of Man, Ubykh in Turkey and last year Alaska's last native speaker of Eyak, Marie Smith Jones, died, taking the aboriginal language with her. |
| UN still smarting from Howard's bullying on black affairs 11 February 2009 - On 23 and 24 March this year Australia will front the 95th session of the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) at New York. Under the reporting mechanisms of the UNHRC, Australia is required to submit a Periodic Report on its compliance with the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) every five years. |
| Rudd must act if race complaint upheld 10 February 2009 - There is little in the eyes of the international community more serious than a nation being found to have racist laws and policies. This was the claim made last week against Australia by 20 Aborigines. |
| La ONU apuesta por reforzar su lucha indígena 6 February 2009 - Los tres mecanismos indígenas de Naciones Unidas unifican sus estrategias en una mini cumbre en Madrid- "Los pueblos indígenas tienen derecho a las tierras, territorios y recursos que han poseído". Adelfo Región, líder del pueblo mixe de México, empuña el artículo 26 de la Declaración de los Derechos Humanos de los Pueblos Indígenas de la ONU como si fuese un precepto bíblico. Devasish Roy, príncipe chakma de Bangladesh, se queda con el artículo 3: "los pueblos indígenas tienen derecho a la libre determinación". |
Kirby's last dissent: my fellow judges racially biased |
| UN 'to examine' Australia's intervention 2 February 2009 - Aboriginal people from the town camps of Alice Springs and nearby communities are preparing to take their fight against the federal intervention to the United Nations. |
| Times they are a'changing for a straight shooter 26 January 2009 - Mick Dodson feared defeat in his long struggle, but he is again a force to be reckoned with, writes Joel Gibson. I'm now 50," Professor Michael Dodson AM told the nation's leaders black and white as they gathered at the Sydney Opera House for Corroboree 2000. |
| Indigenous People Seek Recognition At WIPO Meeting On Their Rights 23 October 2008 - Indigenous groups are looking for better representation at the United Nations body negotiating on issues related to the protection of their traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. |
| Bill of rights is essential to best serve human rights 9 October 2008 - Five years ago I began my term as the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, confident in the ability of the common law and a robust democracy to protect human rights. I leave convinced we need a major legal and cultural overhaul to deal with the human rights challenges of the 21st century. |
| UN celebrates indigenous art 12 July 2008 - INDIGENOUS artists from the Torres Strait Islands brought their distinctive artworks to the UN this week to celebrate the survival of their culture. |
| CBD- COP9 IIFB Indigenous Voices Bulletin 1 20 May 2008 - UN Indigenous Portal, Bonn - More than 500 Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and representatives of local rural communities from around the world are here in Bonn, Germany to participate at the COP 9 – CBD Conference. |
| CBD- COP9 IIFB Opening Statement 19 May 2008 - UN Portal, Bonn - Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. This statement is made on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB). |
| Human rights groups urge federal government to endorse UN Declaration as "matter of priority" 19 May 2008 - The Indigenous Law Centre, Human Rights Law Resource Centre and 103 other organizations have signed a letter calling on the Australian government to endorse the landmark United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a "matter of priority". |
| Canada taking 'bold steps' on aboriginal issues, Strahl tells UN 1 May 2008 - CBC - The Conservative government has taken unprecedented steps in protecting aboriginal human rights and improving the quality of life of indigenous peoples in Canada, Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said Thursday at the United Nations. |
| Govt preparing to endorse Declaration 21 February 2008 - The federal government is preparing to endorse the landmark United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was opposed by the former Howard government. |
| First Nations set to implement UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 19 February 2008 - Assembley of First Nations - Today First Nations leaders are gathering for a two-day symposium in Vancouver where they will consult representatives from the United Nations about how the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can be implemented in Canada. AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine says First Nations are set to implement the UN Declaration. |
| UN rights experts welcome Australia's apology to indigenous peoples 18 February 2008 – UN - A group of independent United Nations human rights experts have welcomed Australia's recent apology to its indigenous peoples for the pain and indignity they endured under the Government's past laws and policies. |
| Government commitment to UN Indigenous Declaration is common sense 17 February 2008 - Media Release - Confirmation by the Foreign Affairs Minister,Stephen Smith, that Australia would acknowledge the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is commonsense and a return to international political reality, said Les Malezer today. |
| Response to government to the national apology to the Stolen Generations 13 February 2008 - HREOC Tom Calma - I have been asked by the National Sorry Day Committee and the Stolen Generations Alliance; the two national bodies that represent the Stolen Generations and their families, to respond to the Parliament’s Apology and to talk briefly about the importance of today’s events. |
| Aboriginals to fight Queensland invasion 21 December 2007- Media Release - We will join with other Aboriginal leaders in Queensland to fight the introduction of forced income control over Aboriginal families in Queenland. |
| WGAR - The Working Group for Aboriginal Rights 5 December 2007 - Media Release - WGAR urges PM and Minister for Indigenous Affairs to place a Moratorium on the NT Intervention and immediately ratify and implement the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| Maori Party Endorses Indigenous Ingenuity 27 November 2007 - Media Release The Maori Party - The Maori Party is celebrating the enterprise of indigenous leadership in forming the United League of Indigenous Nations; an international initiative which Aotearoa will formally ratify in Whakatane on November 28, 2007 (tomorrow). |
| British based mining companies 12 November 2007 - EDM 210 - British House of Commons - That this House notes that London is the world's biggest centre for mining investment and that the activities of mining companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) are causing significant concern around the world; |
| Aeotearoa Declaration puts Australia under international microscope 18 October 2007 - Australia's poor record in overcoming Indigenous disadvantage has again come under the microscope overseas, with an international health meeting making a formal declaration to urge the Australian government to act. |
| UN: On the rights of Indigenous peoples 30 September 2007 - After a decades-long struggle, the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 13 approved the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Among other points, the non-binding Declaration states that Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain their cultures and remain on their land. |
| UN Declaration a milestone for Indigenous Peoples 14 September 2007 - HREOC Media Release - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma today welcomed the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| United Nations adopts Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples 13 September 2007 – The General Assembly today adopted a landmark declaration outlining the rights of the world’s estimated 370 million indigenous people and outlawing discrimination against them – a move that followed more than two decades of debate. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been approved after 143 Member States voted in favour, 11 abstained and four – Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States – voted against the text. |
| UN indigenous rights declaration rejected 12 September 2007 - THE (Australian) Federal Government will not support a United Nations declaration on indigenous rights, in part because it puts customary law above national law, and "there should only be one law for all Australians". |
| UN set to adopt native rights declaration, no thanks to Canada: critics 6 September 2007 - Canada was cast Thursday as a bad actor that aggressively campaigned alongside countries with tarnished human rights records in its failed bid to derail the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| Dealing with a national tragedy - failure is not an option 3 September 2007 - Since taking office in July 2004, I find myself as the sole independent statutory watchdog on Indigenous affairs in Australia. And what a roller coaster ride it’s been trying to keep track of the constant shifts in policy as new ministers seek to make their mark on this portfolio. |
| Indigenous protesters target Aust UN mission 31 August 2007 - Demonstrators have protested outside Australia's United Nations mission in New York, calling on the Government to end its opposition to the UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| Call for UN to supervise Govt intervention 24 August 2007 - A group of Aboriginal people in Central Australia is calling on the United Nations to oversee the Commonwealth's intervention in the Northern Territory. |
| UN General Assembly Must Adopt the UN Declaration 9 August 2007 - Bangkok - On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, FORUM-ASIA wishes to extend solidarity to Indigenous Peoples, nations and organisations in Asia and throughout the world. We would like to emphasise the urgent need for the United Nations General Assembly (GA) to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) before the end of its 61st session in September 2007. |
| Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 18 July 2007 - Statement as delivered at a press conference at UN Headquarters presented by Les Malezer, Chairperson of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus - I open this statement with the acknowledgement of the First Peoples of this region and, as such pay our respects to them, their ancestors and their lands and territories. |
| Dion Calls on Harper Government to Sign UN Rights Declaration 8 July 2007 - OTTAWA - Liberal Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion today sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling on his government to uphold Canada's reputation as a promoter and protector of human rights by ceasing its efforts to block passage of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| Why I support the aboriginal National Day of Action - Ottawa is wrong to oppose UN declaration on aboriginal rights 29 June 2007 - by Kenneth Deer - The Harper government has warned aboriginals not to engage in blockades today on the National Day of Action. Yet a Canadian envoy will speak on the floor of the UN General Assembly today to oppose the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as adopted last June by the UN Human Rights Council. |
| “Lost year” for the rights of Indigenous peoples worldwide: Canada must stop stalling on vital United Nations declaration 28 June 2007 - Indigenous peoples, social justice organizations and independent experts today urged the government of Canada to stop obstructing an important instrument adopted one year ago by the UN Human Rights Council. |
| A human rights based approach is vital to address the challenges in Indigenous communities 26 June 2007 - Media Release - The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcements to act to protect the rights of Indigenous women and children in the Northern Territory and urges it to adopt an approach that is consistent with Australia’s international human rights obligations. |
| Did Australia demand reversal on natives?
Ottawa pulled support after Howard's visit 9 June 2007 - The Globe and Mail - Canada's decision to withdraw support for the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples coincided with a visit to Ottawa by Prime Minister John Howard of Australia -- a country that strongly opposes the declaration. |
| Letter from Amnesty International, Secretary General to Canadian Prime Minister 8 June 2007 - I am writing to urge the Government of Canada to withdraw its opposition to the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the vitally important and long overdue UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| UN man condemns Australia for housing failures 1 June 2007 - The United Nations Special Rapporteur on housing has condemned Australia for failing to implement the human right to adequate housing, warning that groups such as indigenous people and women are missing out on safe and affordable accommodation. |
| Call for human rights probe into 99-year leases 23 May 2007 - An Indigenous rights organisation has called for a human rights investigation into the Commonwealth's new 99-year lease agreements. |
| UN indigenous forum erupts in anger over Tiwi lease plan 19 May 2007 - Angry exchanges between government officials and black activists over John Howard's plan to introduce private home ownership on Aboriginal traditional lands have taken centre stage at the annual session of the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. |
| Community discusses indigenous rights decleration 3 February 2007 - One-hundred people gathered at Brisbane’s Riverside Centre on January 27 to discuss Indigenous self-determination and the United Nation’s draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is expected to be ratified this year. |
| The Last session of the Working Group on the draft Declaration of the rights of indigenous peoples. 30 January–3 February 2006 - The eleventh session of the inter-sessional working group on the draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples took place from 5-16 December 2005 and its resumed session from 30 January–3 February 2006 in Geneva. |
| Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 29 November 2006 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma today expressed his disappointment at the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to delay consideration of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for up to 12 months. |
| UN affirms Indigenous Peoples are not equal to all other Peoples 28 November 2006 - The Indigenous Caucus is shocked and outraged by the actions of the United Nations, who today failed to adopt the most important international instrument for the promotion and protection of human rights for Indigenous Peoples. |
| U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 12 November 2006 - Why a proposal to delay adoption should not be supported |
| Support the decleration 18 October 2006 - The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will be adopted by the General Assembly during this session. Consistent with the promotion and protection of human rights for all, it is in best interest of all States to support the adoption of this historic Declaration. |
| UN official shocked at Indigenous housing conditions 8 August 2006 - A UN official who has been inspecting Australia's Indigenous communities says the housing situation there is amongst the worst he's seen in the world. |
| Human Rights Council adopts texts for protection from enforced disappearance, rights of Indigenous peoples 29 June 2006 |
| Action Programme
for 2nd Indigenous Decade Launched 15 May 2006 - Secretary General Calls for Programme to be translated into a change for the Better in Life of every indigenous Person |
| Indigenous
rights on the move internationally 9 March 2006 - THE year of 2006 is shaping up as the most critical year in advancing the rights of indigenous peoples at the international level. There is much excitement, anticipation and caution that the advocacy of countless indigenous peoples at the United Nations (UN) level over the past 20 years will finally result in the comprehensive recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples. |
| U.N. negotiations
on indigenous rights wrap up, for now 17 February 2006 - Indian Country (USA) - The current round of negotiations on the U.N. Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples came to a close Feb. 3 with nearly two-thirds of the provisions agreed upon by the member states of the U.N. Human Rights Commission. |
| Australia's
shame: report to UN raises plight of children 6 June 2005 - A report on Australia's children that highlights the "shame" of indigenous children's welfare and the plight of children in immigration detention will be handed to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva this week. |
| Geneva vs Canberra 28 March 2005 - The UN has again attacked the Howard Government's record on race. But this time the politicians are shutting up and news of the verdict isn't getting out. |
| Damning UN
verdict on race relations 22 March 2005 - The United Nations has raised serious concerns about race relations in Australia and has called on the Federal Government to work towards a "meaningful" reconciliation. |
| United Nations
Committee issues observations on Australia 18 March 2005 - The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued its concluding observations on Australia. This follows consideration of Australia's 13th and 14th periodic reports in Geneva on 1 and 2 March 2005. |
| Govt. will
ignore UN predicts ANTaR 4 March 2005 - Key Indigenous lobbyists predicted the Australian government will ignore UN concerns over abuses of Aboriginals expected to be raised yesterday in the European headquarters of the human rights watchdog. |
| Senior officials
to front UN Committee 1 March 2005 - Senior government officials due to front the UN in Geneva tomorrow are likely to be quizzed over Sydney's Redfern riots and the death in custody of a Palm Islander. |
| International
protection for indigenous peoples' human rights long overdue 10 September 2004 - Amnesty International News - The end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People is now less than four months away. The Working Group on the Draft United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples meets in its 10th session in Geneva next week (13-24 September), but the prospect of achieving one of the decade's principle goals -- the adoption of an international declaration for the protection and promotion of indigenous peoples' human rights -- seems increasingly at risk. |
| 'Sorry Books'
registered as historic documents 19 August 2004 - UNESCO - A collection of 461 Sorry Books recording the thoughts of thousands of Australians on the unfolding history of the Stolen Generations has been formally recognized as having powerful historical and social significance. The books are among nine significant documentary heritage items recently inscribed on the Australian Memory of the World Register – part of UNESCO’s Programme to protect and promote documentary material- that records or reflects significant milestones and events in Australia’s history. |
| Journée
internationale des autochtones : L'ONU défend les droits des populations
marginalisées 11August 2004 - Al Bayane (Morroco) - La Journée Internationale des populations autochtones a été célébrée, lundi au siège de l'ONU à New York. Lors de cette cérémonie, le secrétaire général de l'ONU soutient bec et ongles la démarginalisation de la population des autochtones qui selon lui, sont dépouillés de leurs terres, et dont la culture est dénigrée ou directement attaquée, alors que leurs langues et leurs coutumes sont reléguées au second plan... |
| Democrats
Highlight Govt's Shameful Record on Indigenous Affairs here and at the UN 11 August 2004 - Democrats Senator Aden Ridgeway - The International Decade of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples has been marked in Australia by declining living standards for Indigenous Australians and a worsening relationship with the Federal Government, say the Australian Democrats. Senator Ridgeway said the decade was closing with Australia still attempting to remove any language of self-determination from the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. |
| Indigenous Poeple's
Day: Genocide It Is 9 August 2004 - IPS-Inter Press Service - When the Belgian Defence Ministry earlier this year blamed North America for the world's worst ever genocide over its killing of millions of indigenous peoples, outrage at the claim spotlighted a topic that rarely enters the public realm but has long been accepted by many native Americans and their supporters. |
| WIPO
Director General Welcomes Growing Recognition Of Indigenous People's Rights 9 August 2004 - World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - The Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, welcomed the growing recognition by the international community of the need to promote the enjoyment of rights of indigenous peoples ... in the field of intellectual property (IP), he observed, this translated into greater respect and recognition for the cultural and intellectual framework and knowledge systems in which traditional cultural expressions (TCEs), traditional knowledge (TK) and associated genetic resources are developed, maintained, and transmitted to future generations within the traditional or customary context. |
| Populations
autochtones : un 10e anniversaire qui doit déclencher des mesures
concrètes 9 August 2004 - Trop longtemps dépouillés de leurs terres, attaqués dans leurs langues, leurs coutumes et leurs cultures, les peuples autochtones ont fait appel à l'ONU. Il est temps que le processus engagé se traduise par des actes concrets, déclare Kofi Annan à l'occasion du 10e Anniversaire de la Journée internationale des populations autochtones. |
Action Needed Now To End Abuse Of World's
Indigenous Peoples |
| U.N.
Set to Designate Second Indigenous Decade 28 July 2004 - allafrica.com - A second U.N. decade spotlighting indigenous peoples is a step closer after the world body's economic and social council (ECOSOC) recommended another 10-year project after the existing decade expires Dec. 30. The decision will go before the 191-member U.N. General Assembly (GA) whose annual meeting begins in September. In their recommendation the members of ECOSOC, one of the U.N.'s five main bodies, said a second decade would have to take its mandate from a review of the first 10 years, and include concrete goals and adequate resources to ensure those aims could be met.. |
| Presentation
to the Twenty Second session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations 23 July 2004 - Joint Statement on behalf of FAIRA, Forest Peoples Programme, Innu Council of Nitassinan, Ogiek Cultural Initiatives Programme, and Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links - Mr Chairman, with reference to the difficulties currently being experienced in finalising the text of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we would like to make specific reference to the position of the United Kingdom on collective human rights. As UK or Commonwealth-based organisations we condemn the position stated by the UK government that collective human rights for indigenous peoples do not exist. |
| Aboriginals
of Australia: Statement at the WGIP 23 July 2004 - Les Malezer, FAIRA - We take this opportunity to give our strongest support to this example of high utilization of expertise from human rights experts and the authorities of Indigenous Peoples, and to the pooling of knowledge and ideas. We are certain this is the intended approach in the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples' Program of Action which gives emphasis to our participation at all levels of management and decision-making. |
| Populations
en quete de droit 23 July 2004 - Libération (France) - La haute commissaire aux droits de l'homme, Louise Arbor, dansant au coeur de la grande ronde de célébration en l'honneur de Leonard Peltier, Indien lakota anishinabe, détenu depuis vingt-neuf ans dans une prison américaine et reconnu prisonnier politique par Amnesty international. Hier à Genève, dans le parc des Nations unies en marge de l'ouverture de la Journée internationale des peuples autochtones, c'était une vision surprenante. Mais représentative d'une volonté de l'ONU de faire progresser la prise de conscience internationale face aux discriminations dont souffrent des peuples spoliés de leur terre, dépossédés de leur culture, profondément niés. |
| Chirac
veut lutter contre la "dissolution" des peuples premiers |
| Stolen Generations case may go before
UN |
| The Participation
of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations System's Political Institutions 27 May 2004 - Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission - Lecture by Professor Dr. Erica-Irene A. Daes at the Castan Centre for Human Rights |
| Black Voice
catches ear of world 23 May 2004 - The initiative by Aboriginal writer, director and musician Richard Frankland to form a political party for indigenous Australians has attracted international attention. |
| If it's
good enough for Iraq why not us - Damaging Australia's Reputation 21 May 2004 - Statement from UN by ATSIC NSW Metropolitan Zone Commissioner Cliff Foley - I am dumbfounded that the Australian Government can so strongly support the imposition of a democratic model on the people of Iraq, while virtually at the same time using strongarm tactics to take an equally democratic model away from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the basis for determining indigenous representation at the national and international levels. |
| UN told
government backward on indigenous issues 21 May 2004 - A senior Aboriginal leader has used a United Nations meeting in New York to condemn the policies of the federal government. |
| Indigenous
Peoples Speak Out: The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 20 May 2004 - Cultural Survival - More than 1,000 indigenous people and indigenous rights advocates are gathered at the United Nations in New York City for the third session of the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. |
| Federal
Government Stooge Misleads UN 14 May 2004 - Statement by ATSIC Northern Territory Central Zone Commissioner Alison Anderson - On behalf of the ATSIC Board of Commissioners I would like to register my disgust at the misleading claims and distorted facts presented to the United Nations this week by an Indigenous woman employed by the Federal Government. The government-appointed Chairperson of the Indigenous Land Corporation, Ms Shirley McPherson had absolutely no right to speak on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the annual UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. |
| UN Forum:
Indigenous Women Need Rights, Health Care 11 May 2004 - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Native women die earlier, have more children and are more frequently attacked by the men in and out of their community, according to delegates attending a U.N. forum on indigenous people. |
| Mulheres
indígenas têm menos direitos, diz fórum da ONU 11 May 2004 - NAÇÕES UNIDAS - Reuters - Mulheres indígenas morrem mais cedo, têm mais filhos e são agredidas por homens de dentro e de fora de suas comunidades com mais frequência, disseram delegados reunidos em um fórum da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) sobre povos indígenas. |
| UN
Secretary-General's address to the opening of third session of the Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues 10 May 2004 - New York - I welcome you all to the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and offer a special welcome to the indigenous women of the world, who are the special theme of this Session. |
| Annan
calls for solidarity and respect as UN indigenous peoples forum opens 10 May 2004 - With native peoples worldwide continuing to encounter systemic prejudice and discrimination, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the international community to confront such ill-will head on, in a spirit of solidarity and respect, to help indigenous peoples overcome a history of inequality. |
| UN
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 10 May 2004 - Statement by Ms Shirley McPherson, Chairperson of the Indigenous Land Corporation on behalf of the Australian Delegation - The special theme of this, the third session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, is devoted to Indigenous Women, and was prompted by a recognition of the significant contributions made by those women to their communities and of the special challenges that they face. As an Indigenous Australian woman it gives me great pleasure to address the forum on behalf of the Australian government. • UN Addressed by Two Indigenous Australian Women |
| Paper
Trail Grows at U.N. Indigenous Forum 8 May 2004 - MONTREAL (IPS) - The lengthy list of reports submitted to the only full-time United Nations body dedicated to indigenous peoples prior to its 2004 session is a sign of its success, say some observers. For others, it is a bad omen. |
| International
Dance Day - Year 2004 - International Dance Day Message 29 April 2004 - International Theatre Institute/UNESCO - Stephen Page: Dance is the original most ancient form of human expression. Through the body and physical language, dance has a powerful connection with the emotional and spiritual worlds. |
| UN to
hear Aboriginal plight 28 April 2004 - Aboriginal health workers will tell the world just how bad indigenous health services are in Australia at a meeting with the United Nations next month. The chairman of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Tony McCartney said the group would raise its concerns about indigenous health during a major presentation to a UN sub-committee in May. |
| Life
of Aborigines second worst on earth 28 April 2004 - The quality of life of Australia's Aborigines is the second worst on the planet, according to a Canadian study of 100 countries. Only China performed worse, according to a United Nations index that measures human development. |
| UN
human rights commission extends mandate of expert on indigenous rights 21 April 2004 - UN News - The mandate of the United Nations human rights expert who records and tries to help correct violations of the rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people has been renewed for another three years by the UN Commission on Human Rights. |
| Indigenous
Peoples and the Creation of an Inclusive International Legal System 14 January 2004 - Carnegie Council - Our guest, John Scott, focuses on a human rights-based approach to social justice for aboriginal and indigenous peoples. He has worked as a high school teacher, an aboriginal educational advisor, an indigenous policy officer, a university lecturer, and a senior manager at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. He has a particular interest in biodiversity and the protection of traditional knowledge. |
| Australian
Un human rights chair 'a shame', says Aborigine 7 January 2004 - How can a racist country like Australia have a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Commission, much less chair it ? That's the question burning the gut of Aboriginal activist Michael Anderson. |
| Yorta
Yorta to take title case to UN 13 September 2003 - The Yorta Yorta people of Victoria and NSW are preparing to lodge a complaint with the United Nations, claiming that the High Court's rejection of their native title bid denied them their inherent cultural rights. |
| Return
of the native 1 September 2003 - New Humanist (UK) - On Human Rights Day 1992, the United Nations proclaimed an International Year of the World’s Indigenous People. A Decade for Indigenous Peoples was subsequently launched, to run from 1995 to 2004, and a Forum of Indigenous Peoples established. The inaugural meeting of the Forum, held in Geneva in 1996, was unfortunately disrupted by gatecrashers. A self–styled delegation of South African Boers turned up and demanded to be allowed to participate on the grounds that they too were indigenous people, and that their traditional culture was under threat from the new African National Congress government. They were unceremoniously ejected, and no doubt their motives were far from pure, but the drama might usefully have drawn attention to the difficultyof defining and identifying Indigenous People. |
| Second
Session of Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Opens in New York 17 May 2003 - Cultural Survival - Over 1,500 delegates converged on the New York headquarters of the United Nations this week for the second session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Indigenous representatives, representatives of member states, and officials from international institutions such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization met daily in Conference Room Two for six hours each day to wrestle with the issues of economic and social development, the environment and the methods of work of the Forum itself. |
| In
Their Words – Voices from the Second Session of the Permanent Forum
on Indigenous Issues 17 May 2003 - Cultural Survival - Below are excerpts from some statements made in the first few days of the second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations headquarters in New York. |
| As Permanent
Forum Meets Down the Hall, Fake Didgeridoos Removed from Shelves at UN Gift
Shop 17 May 2003 - Cultural Survival - The United Nations gift shop at its headquarters in New York is a wondrous affair, with magnificent artifacts drawn from the four corners of the globe. Divided into small sections, we see exquisite wood carvings from Ghana, dazzling Turkish ceramics, beautifully crafted dolls from China, and other representative works of member nations. Then in one corner, near some toy Koalas made in China, is a rack containing nine ‘Australian’ didgeridoos. Close inspection shows that they are all manufactured in Indonesia. |
| Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues takes center stage at United Nations 9 May 2003 - NEW YORK - On May 12, indigenous nations and supporters will gather at United Nations headquarters in New York for the second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. With several hundred million indigenous people in the world, the forum was created to address issues indigenous peoples around the world are facing. • Speech by ATSIC Charman, Geoff Clark to Permanent Forum |
| Australia
to stand firm over 'racist' sign 26 April 2003 - The Independent (UK) - Australian government is preparing to flout a demand by the United Nations for it to intervene to remove the word "nigger" from a sign on a sports stadium in Queensland. |
| Interview
with Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network 15 March 2003 - In Motion Magazine (US) - Tom Goldtooth "is the executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, a network of over 250 indigenous communities in North America. That includes Canada, the U.S. and some in Mexico. We also network with the indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica as well as South America and some in Africa." This interview was conducted during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. |
| Stand-off
on indigenous rights 26 December 2002 - Australia is the sole remaining country opposing the right of indigenous people to "self-determination" in United Nations negotiations towards an international statement of indigenous rights. |
| International
Human Rights day 10 December 2002 - Statement by representatives of Indigenous Peoples, nations and organizations meeting in Geneva. |
| The
Kimberley Declaration 20-23 August 2002 - International Indigenous Peoples Summit on Sustainable Development, Khoi-San Territory, Kimberley, South Africa "We the Indigenous Peoples of the World assembled here reaffirm the Kari-Oca Declaration and the Indigenous Peoples' Earth Charter. We again reaffirm our previous declarations on human and environmental sustainability." |
| Indigenous
people get voice 14 May 2002 - United Nations: The world's indigenous peoples have held their first official forum, demanding the right to collective ownership of land and payment for their medicinal knowledge. |
| Address
to the first session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 13 May 2002 - United Nations Deputy Secretary-General - The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is a milestone in the struggle of thousands of indigenous peoples to win recognition of their rights and identities. We should give credit first and foremost to indigenous peoples themselves for coming together behind the idea of a Forum. Next, the Economic and Social Council - and in particular those members that long argued for greater participation of indigenous peoples in the United Nations -- deserves congratulations for its visionary decision to establish the Forum. And last but not least, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and her staff deserve praise for their hard work. |
| Tim to
tell World about Aboriginal issues 1 May 2002 - Canberra student Tim Goodwin will be taking indigenous youth issues to the world next week when he goes to New York to address the United Nations special session on children. |
| Report by UN Special Rapporteur, Commission on Human Rights: Mission to Australia (PDF doc) 2002 |
| UN Report
on racism should be taken seriously 27 March 2002 - HREOC - Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner... Dr William Jonas, called on the Federal Government to treat seriously the concerns raised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Racism in his report on Australia to the UN Commission on Human Rights. |
| Human
Rights in Contemporary Australia 17 November 2001 - Speech: Dr Sev Ozdowsk - I am delighted to be invited to speak today at the Tasmanian Branch of the United Nations Association of Australia's Human Rights Seminar. Despite its rather grand title, this presentation will be a relatively modest attempt to set out the key challenges for human rights in Australia as I see them at the outset of my term as Human Rights Commissioner. Let us begin with a quick survey of the state of human rights internationally and in Australia today. |
| Aborigines'
international hero unites warring parties 10 August 2001 - "Jack Beetson fights for the stolen generations," says the TV clip to be shown around the world about the Aboriginal leader the United Nations has named as one of only 12 Unsung Heroes. |
| We ignore
UN rights report at our peril 29 December 2000 - Australia must recognise the increasing links between international trade and human rights, writes Angela Ward (Associate Professor in International Law at Essex University, and junior counsel to Cherie Booth, QC). |
| Australia
is the only developed country whose government has been condemned as racist
by the United Nations 13 October 2000 - By John Pilger. There is no doubting the efficiency of the Sydney Olympics, the friendliness of the people, the beauty of the setting; but there was a political façade. Soon after the Aboriginal runner Cathy Freeman won her gold medal, the cabinet of John Howard’s government met in Canberra to mount yet another attack on her people by planning to change the Land Rights Act. |
| UN reports
finds Australian aborigines disadvantaged 1 September 2000 - BBC - A United Nations report says that Australia's Aboriginal people continue to be disadvantaged in employment, housing, health and education. |
| Facing
the wrong way on human rights 31July 2000 - Australia is displaying increasing ambivalence towards the international human rights regime. Such ambivalence has been manifest in tardiness in complying with international reporting obligations and the rejection of a series of adverse findings by independent UN bodies. |
UN
censures treatment of aborigines |
Cherie Booth tells UN of `cruel and inhuman punishment. |
Canberra denies unease over Blair |
| A Black Day in London |
| Prime
Minister's disregard of human rights obligations shocks A.I. |
| Australian
Government's dismissal of UN criticism undermines hard-earned credibility
in human rights diplomacy |
| Australia
defends 'racist' land law |
| Prescriptions
for the Problem: What is being done to improve the human rights problems
of indigenous peoples? |
| Indigenous
peoples emerging on the world stage |
| Treaties,
agreements and "constructive arrangements": indigenous people
and the legal landscape 24 November 1992 - United Nations Information Centre in Sydney for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific - Many treaties between indigenous people and the Governments of the countries in which they live carry great symbolic and spiritual meaning. To indigenous people, treaties are seen as providing recognition of their right to self-determination and a guarantee of respect for their collective rights. Indeed, for people whose recent history has been largely one of discrimination and marginalization, marked by land dispossession, forced relocation, cultural assimilation and, in some cases, genocide, a foundation of legal protections is considered vital. |
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