Bellegarde pushes for worldwide implementation of UNDRIP during UN forum
- EFN Staff | April 26, 2017
Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde used his platforum at the 16th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York, NY to push for worldwide implementation of Indigenous rights.
“We’re here to advocate to push forward the nation’s state not only in Canada, but throughout the world, for implementation of the UN Declaration of the Right’s of Indigenous Peoples,” he said. “We’re focusing on that and also urging the nation’s states to work in partnership with Indigenous peoples collaboratively and cooperatively to develop national action plans.”
Yesterday Chief Bellegarde delivered a statement at the UN General Assembly Hall on behalf of a number of Indigenous peoples’ organizations and human rights non-governmental organizations.
“I got to speak on behalf of a coalition of organizations that promotes and protects individual and human rights collectively,” he said. “We also had a side event with the Metis National Council and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the AFN. We had Canada and the nation’s state a part of that event, stressing the need to work with us so that we can see the full implementation of the UN Declaration sooner than later.”
It’s the 10th anniversary for the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ and Bellegarde says it took many years to get the Declaration to where it is now. Canada’s Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs of Carolyn Bennett also attended the permanent forum and according to CBC News, she expressed the Canadian government fully supports the UN Indigenous rights declaration.
“We are committed to finding new ways to recognize Indigenous rights and jurisdiction,” said Minister Bennett to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Chief Bellegarde added that on behalf of Canada, Minister Bennett retracted the interventions and the issues and concerns they had with certain clauses within the declaration concerning free prior and informed consent.
“They formally withdrew their objections. That’s a strong positive statement because we’ve always said if we can find ways to implement the declaration, it’s a framework of reconciliation between our peoples,” saidChief Bellegarde. “It’s also a framework for economic certainty and economic stability…it’s important for all countries of the world to work towards those national action plans of implementation of the UN Declaration of the rights of Indigenous peoples.”
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues kicked off on Monday April 24 and runs until May 5th.