Consultations on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva

The Working Group on the Draft UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples concluded its session in Geneva on 3 February 2006. The session completed the present mandate, established by the Commission on Human Rights.

The Declaration has been negotiated in the Working Group for eleven years.

The session focused on key entities related to indigenous peoples' sovereignty and right to land. Different views came closer but divergent opinions were still put forward concerning some matters.

However, the chair of the Working Group, Luis Chávez of Peru, sees the issue in a positive light and believes that he has enough material to be able to prepare a new declaration text, which would be acceptable to all parties. The Declaration will be decided upon by the Commission on Human Rights, which will convene in March, or possibly by its successor, the Human Rights Council, the establishment of which is being discussed in New York.