The Development Group Guidelines highlight the importance of recognising UN’s Indigenous collective rights. peoples’ International human rights instruments are not enough to guarantee the survival, wellbeing and dignity of Indigenous peoples. Most international human rights instruments protect the rights of the individual. Indigenous peoples need the recognition of specific collective rights for their survival as human groups. These rights include: indigenous rights to their lands, territories and resources, peoples’ right to maintain their cultures, right to recognition of their distinct identities, right to self-government and self - determination, and the right to be asked for their free, prior and informed consent in decisions that may affect them. Such rights are considered the minimum standards for the protection of their survival as distinct peoples and are intended to address the challenges most Indigenous peoples face around the world. The Guidelines go on to outline basic human rights norms and principles which underpin any human rights-based approach to community engagement. Those principles are: Non-discrimination Equality Gender equality Self-determination Collective rights Indigenous peoples and the right to define and decide their own development priorities. A very useful section of these Guidelines is the table and checklist of key issues and related Indigenous rights: TABLE 1: Key Issues and Related Rights Issue Basic Information Guiding Principles The long traditions of indigenous The principle of self-determination can be have been interrupted, implemented in practice through a range limited or denied by colonial or of mechanisms including the following: states. The re-establishment Autonomy arrangements autonomy, of mutually agreed upon relations Self-government management between the State and indigenous Self-management peoples in which the people or Control over or input into basic services community determines its own future in such as education and health accordance with its own processes is Recognition and maintenance of tradition the key principle in the UN Declaration political decision-making bodies and legal on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. systems Self-determination expressed in this Full and effective participation in public form is vital for the continuing life. existence of indigenous peoples as These arrangements require that states distinct peoples. and indigenous peoples agree on
The UN’s Development Group Guidelines highlight the importance of recognising Indigenous peoples’ collective rights. International human rights instruments are not enough to guarantee the survival, wellbeing and dignity of Indigenous peoples. Most international human rights instruments protect the rights of the individual. Indigenous peoples need the recognition of specific collective rights for their survival as human groups. These rights include: indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and resources, right to maintain their cultures, right to recognition of their distinct identities, right to self-government and self - determination, and the right to be asked for their free, prior and informed consent in decisions that may affect them. Such rights are considered the minimum standards for the protection of their survival as distinct peoples and are intended to address the challenges most Indigenous peoples face around the world. The Guidelines go on to outline basic human rights norms and principles which underpin any human rights-based approach to community engagement. Those principles are: Non-discrimination Equality Gender equality Self-determination Collective rights Indigenous peoples and the right to define and decide their own development priorities. A very useful section of these Guidelines is the table and checklist of key issues and related Indigenous rights: TABLE 1: Key Issues and Related Rights Issue Basic Information Guiding Principles autonomy, The long traditions of indigenous have been interrupted, limited or denied by colonial or states. The re-establishment of mutually agreed upon relations between the State and indigenous peoples in which the people or community determines its own future in accordance with its own processes is the key principle in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Self-determination expressed in this form is vital for the continuing existence of indigenous peoples as distinct peoples. The principle of self-determination can be implemented in practice through a range of mechanisms including the following: Autonomy arrangements Self-government Self-management Control over or input into basic services such as education and health Recognition and maintenance of tradition political decision-making bodies and legal systems Full and effective participation in public life. These arrangements require that states and indigenous peoples agree on management
Aboriginal%20and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20Peoples%20Engagement%20Toolkit%202012%20(word).docx