Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Third Session
Item 4: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
By Ms Sally Dawkins, 15 July 2010
The Australian Government was pleased to announce its support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in April 2009, noting that it sets important principles for the fundamental human rights of Indigenous peoples. Australia would like to take this opportunity to note some of the developments in Australian Indigenous policy since endorsing the Declaration in 2009.
As the Special Rapporteur reminded us this morning, while the Declaration is not legally binding, it is an historic document that recognises the legitimate entitlement of Indigenous peoples to all human rights as recognised in international law.
Along with the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, Australia’s support for the Declaration marked a resetting of relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. This new relationship is based on good faith, good will and mutual respect.
The Australian Government has supported the establishment of a Healing Foundation to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based healing initiatives, with a strong focus on the Stolen Generations.
Mr Chairman, Australia recognises that ongoing high rates of family violence and victimisation experienced by Indigenous women continue to be a significant human rights concern. In addition to funding community responses to family violence, the Australian Government has supported the establishment of a new National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance so Indigenous women are able to bring forward their issues and develop solutions in their own terms.
The Australian Government also acknowledges the importance of culture to reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It supports the unconditional repatriation of all Australian Indigenous human remains from overseas collections to their traditional lands or communities of origin.
I’d like to thank the Chairman for the invitation to reflect on the ongoing relevance of the Expert Mechanism’s previous study on education. Australia’s Education Ministers have endorsed a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan. This Action Plan was subject to a multi staged consultation process involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations. The consultation resulted in a stronger emphasis in the Plan on language, culture and families.
The Expert Mechanism’s study on the right of Indigenous peoples to education was one source of information considered by officials as they developed their advice on the Action Plan. Issues raised in the EMRIP study, such as the need for mainstream services to better support Indigenous people, and the need to establish better reporting on the outcomes of Indigenous students, are central to the Action Plan. The Action Plan also supports improved flexibility of schools, increased local-level involvement in schools by Indigenous families and includes action to improve the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators.
In addition, Mr Chairman, the Australian Government has announced the National Indigenous Languages Policy, which is aimed at keeping Indigenous languages alive and supporting Indigenous Australians to connect with their language, culture and country.
The Australian Government has also undertaken a feasibility study for a national Indigenous knowledge centre, in order to celebrate and help sustain Indigenous culture. The feasibility study is currently underway and has been informed by extensive consultations with Indigenous communities.
Furthermore, Australia is committed to increasing Indigenous Australians’ participation in the institutions of democratic government. In our intervention under Item 3, we noted the developments in the establishment of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples. The model for this National Congress was developed by an independent Indigenous steering committee, and draws heavily from and meets the requirements of, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in particular Articles 5, 18, 19 and 20 relating to foundational rights and political and economic rights.
Australia is pleased to bring these important developments to the attention of the Expert Mechanism, and notes the role of the Declaration in supporting them.