The United Nations Association of Australia (WA) celebrates the

International Day of the 
World's Indigenous People

9 August 2009

 

 

On the 13 September 2007 the United Nations General Assembly 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 was approved after 143 Member States voted in favour, 11 abstained and four – Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States – voted against the text.

 

A non-binding text, the Declaration emphasises the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions. It also prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them, their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own visions of economic and social development.

 

 

 

Aboriginal of Australia

 

 

To commemorate the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on 9 August, 2009, the UNAA (WA) is proud to join with indigenous Australians to celebrate Australia’s signing of the Declaration on 3 April 2009.

 

The signing is likely to go down in history as a defining moment in indigenous and non-indigenous relations and a significant advancement of indigenous peoples' ability to access their human rights.

 

The government described its signing as an important symbolic step in healing past wounds. Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, said “today we celebrate the great privilege all Australians have to live alongside the custodians of the oldest continuing cultures in human history.”

 

 

 

Dame Judith A Parker, President of the United Nations Association of Australia WA Division and long-term human rights campaigner, is delighted to lead the Association’s first celebration in WA.

 

“The Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous people adopted on 13 September 2007 affirms that indigenous people are equal to all other peoples. It further affirms that all people contribute to the diversity and richness of civilization which constitutes the common heritage of mankind. The 40 articles of the declaration are important guidelines to the dialogue between the indigenous people and all other Australians.

The international day encourages all Australians to focus on the culture and rights of indigenous people and to ensure these rights are upheld in the future. May we all in some way contribute to righting the wrongs suffered by the indigenous people in the past and work towards living in peace and harmony”, she said.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma responded to the news saying [1] “I congratulate the Australian Government for the giant step it is taking today in embracing the fundamental guiding principles of mutual respect and partnership outlined in the Declaration. In making this formal statement of support, the federal government is committing to a framework which fully respects indigenous peoples’ rights and creates the opportunity for all Australians to be truly equal”.

 

The United Nations Association of Australia (WA) has a long and distinguished history in the area of human rights and active committees working on human rights and environmental issues in WA.

 

We look forward to building stronger associations with indigenous peoples in all our endeavours and we proudly acknowledge and celebrate the United Nations Day of Indigenous Peoples.