WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

18 SEP 2008: CALLS TO SUPPORT INDIGENOUS RIGHTS DECLARATION

Contents:

Top News Story

Media Releases & Statements

News

Resources

TOP NEWS STORY:

NIT: Greens expose Labor inaction over UN Indigenous rights declaration

http://www.nit.com.au/story.aspx?id=16037

17 Sep 08: "The Australian Greens' motion, introduced yesterday [in the Senate], called on the government to make a statement of support for the declaration at the General Assembly next month."

See Greens Senator Rachel Siewert's motion in the Senate on page 853 of
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Journals of the Senate, No. 30. Tuesday, 16 September 2008

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/work/journals/jnlp_030.pdf

MEDIA RELEASES & STATEMENTS:

Greens: Rudd must fulfil election promise on UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights

http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/rudd-must-fulfil-election-promise-un-declaration-indigenous-rights

13 Sep 08: "The Rudd Government should immediately sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, according to the Victorian Greens annual conference today. "It is time the Rudd Government put some substance to the apology to the stolen generations and showed their true commitment to righting the wrongs of successive administrations," said Australian Greens spokesperson on Indigenous Issues, Senator Rachel Siewert to today's conference in Melbourne."

Anniversary Statement on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

http://womenforwik.freeforums.org/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples-t77.html

13 Sep 08: "We celebrate on 13 September 2008 the first anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The adoption of the Declaration by the United Nations, with an overwhelming vote of support from the member States, represents a significant milestone in the promotion and protection of universal human rights. ... The Declaration is clearly becoming the point of reference for 370 million Indigenous Peoples around the world to find legal and political traction to change our status as the poorest of the poor and the most oppressed." Les Malezer, Former Chairperson of the Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus on the Declaration

Australian Human Rights Commission: Supporting the Declaration is the next step

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2008/96_08.html

12 Sep 08: "The Australian government should move quickly to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said today, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Declaration’s passing at the UN. “The Declaration is fundamentally about participation and engagement with Indigenous peoples,” Commissioner Calma said. “It is a positive, aspirational document that recognises the rights that are inherent for Indigenous peoples rather than leaving it up to governments to decide whether or not Indigenous people possess such rights, or deserve protection or recognition." "

NEWS:

NIT: Rudd government must endorse Indigenous declaration: Calma

http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=16019

14 Sep 08: "Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner has called on the federal government to make good on an election promise and endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. ... At the time, Labor said it would endorse the declaration, but has failed to do so despite almost a year in office."

news.com.au: Call to endorse indigenous declaration

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24340860-29277,00.html

13 Sep 08: "PRESSURE is mounting for the Federal Government to endorse a UN declaration on indigenous rights adopted by the UN's general assembly a year ago today."

NIT: Frustration over Rudd election promise delay; UN Dec still not signed by Oz

http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=16008

11 Sep 08: "The Rudd government has been criticised for so far failing to endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, despite promising to do so before last year's election. ... But Megan Davis, director of the Indigenous Law Centre at the University of New South Wales, said people were becoming frustrated with the delay."

RESOURCES:

Australian Human Rights Commission has a range of resources on the Declaration online at:

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/declaration/comments.html

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WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)