Indigenous Rights Declaration Adopted By U.N.
Thursday, September 13, 2007 at 15:35
The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People passed overwhelmingly in a vote in New York today.
Canada was one of four countries to vote against the measure – and that’s sparking criticism from the Aboriginal community and from Opposition parties.
NDP Aboriginal Affairs critic Jean Crowder calls the Conservative government’s move “cowardly and un-Canadian”.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine says it is “a stain on the country’s international reputation”, and notes this is the first time Canada has voted against an international human rights instrument.
Still, Fontaine says today is a “day to celebrate”, because the document is “a step toward setting minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous people everywhere”.
Fontaine adds the declaration’s passage is important, because it supports the efforts of Indigenous peoples to have their rights “fully recognized, respected and implemented by state governments”.
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl and Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier say the federal government voted against adoption of the current text of the document, because the Tories believe it lacks clear guidelines for implementation, it is incompatible with Canada’s Constitution and does not recognize the government’s “need to balance Indigenous rights to lands and resources with the rights of others”.
The United States, Australia and New Zealand also voted against the declaration’s adoption.