International Year for the World's Indigenous People.

1992/45.
International Year for the World's Indigenous People

The Commission on Human Rights, Bearing in mind that one of the purposes of the United Nations, set forth in the Charter, is the achievement of international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, Recognizing the value and the diversity of the cultures and the forms of social organization of the world's indigenous people, Welcoming General Assembly resolution 45/164 of 18 December 1990, in which the Assembly proclaimed 1993 as International Year for the World's Indigenous People, with a view to strengthening international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous communities in the areas, inter alia , of human rights, the environment, development, education and health, Welcoming also General Assembly resolution 46/128 of 17 December 1991, in which the Assembly adopted a programme of activities for the International Year, Taking into account the guidelines for international years and anniversaries adopted by the General Assembly in its decision 35/424 of 5 December 1980, Noting with satisfaction the initiatives taken by the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund as stated in its decision 1991/7 and by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in its decision 1991/12 in response to General Assembly resolution 45/164 , Noting the entry into force on 5 September 1991 of the Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, 1989 (No. 169) of the International Labour Organisation, Welcoming decision 3/7 adopted on 4 September 1991 by the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, regarding the opportunity afforded by the International Year for the World's Indigenous People as a first step towards mobilizing international technical and financial cooperation for the self-development of indigenous people and their communities, Mindful of the preparatory process for the World Conference on Human Rights, to be held in 1993, Welcoming with satisfaction the theme "Indigenous people - a new partnership" for the International Year,

1. Recommends that the specialized agencies, regional commissions and other relevant organizations of the United Nations system, in their consideration of the contributions that they can make to the success of the International Year for the World's Indigenous People, continue to be guided by how:

(a) Their operational activities can most effectively contribute to the solution of problems faced by indigenous people;

(b) Indigenous people can play an important role in the planning, implementation and evaluation of projects which may affect them;

2. Invites Member States to inform the Secretary-General of the activities they intend to undertake in relation to the International Year;

3. Encourages Member States to consult indigenous people, and non-governmental organizations working with them, regarding activities for the International Year;

4. Acknowledges the appointment of the Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights as the Coordinator of the International Year for the World's Indigenous People, with functional duties being assigned to the Centre for Human Rights in conjunction with the Office of the Director-General for Development and International Economic Cooperation and the International Labour Organisation;

5. Urges the Coordinator to solicit actively the cooperation of other elements of the United Nations, including financial and development institutions;

6. Accepts with satisfaction the task of promoting the programme of activities contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution 46/128 as a guideline for the International Year;

7. Welcomes the convening by the Coordinator, from 9 to 11 March 1992, of a technical meeting of specialized agencies, regional commissions and other relevant organizations of the United Nations system with representatives of States, organizations of indigenous people and other non-governmental organizations having a special interest in indigenous matters:

(a) To identify programme areas or capabilities that are of particular relevance and priority to indigenous people;

(b) To agree on specific objectives for special projects to be implemented in 1993 as part of the International Year and to ensure their consonance with the theme and objectives of the Year;

(c) To consider existing project guidelines and recommend effective means for including indigenous people in the initiation, design and implementation of the special projects to be undertaken in 1993;

(d) To suggest appropriate procedures and criteria for the evaluation of projects involving indigenous people, in 1993 and thereafter;

(e) To consider what financial provisions, if any, need to be made to ensure implementation of the foregoing;

(f) To report on the outcome of the technical meeting to the Secretary-General;

8. Agrees to continue to take into account the ongoing work of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, as well as that of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations;

9. Encourages those States that are in a position to do so to consider means by which they could provide resources to assist the work of the United Nations on the International Year, for example by the secondment of suitable staff;

10. Urges States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as organizations of indigenous people, to contribute to the Voluntary Fund for the International Year for the World's Indigenous People opened by the Secretary-General;

11. Requests the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights to take into account in its preparations the fact that the World Conference will take place during the International Year;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to accept and administer voluntary contributions from Governments, intergovernmental organizations and indigenous and non-indigenous organizations for the purpose of funding programme activities for the International Year;

13. Also requests the Secretary-General to give all necessary assistance to the Coordinator for the International Year for the World's Indigenous People to permit him to carry out his tasks;

14. Acknowledges the request made by the General Assembly to the Commission to convene a meeting of participating parties to the programmes and projects of the International Year for the World's Indigenous People to assess after the International Year what conclusions can be drawn from the activities;

15. Proposes to the General Assembly that the title of the International Year be amended to "1993 - The International Year of the World's Indigenous People".

52nd meeting
3 March 1992
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XVII.]