Project

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The Center's best known work is our 30 years of organizing and advocacy to win adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007.

Proposals

The World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, held September 22-23, 2014, at UN Headquarters in New York, was an historic opportunity to win decisions to advance and implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The World Conference Outcome Document was the result of years of preparation and negotiation and contains important decisions to advance the rights of indigenous peoples. The final Outcome Document was adopted by consensus of all 193 member states of the United Nations on September 22, 2014.

Over 150 indigenous nations, organizations, and Native women’s coalitions joined together and worked for two years to win support for four decisions to advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the UN:

  1. Creation of an implementing and monitoring body for the UN Declaration.
  2. Development of new rules to enable the permanent participation of indigenous governments in the UN.
  3. Actions to address the epidemic of violence against indigenous women.
  4. Respect for places sacred to indigenous peoples.