Protest of Indigenous Peoples must be taken seriously: World Conference must withdraw discriminating articles from final resolution!

On Tuesday Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker International (GfbV) / Society for Threatened Peoples has urged the German Government to take the protest of Indigenous Peoples planed for today seriously. The Government should engage in the attempt to withdraw two discriminating articles from the final resolution. "We urge the German Delegation in Durban to support the Indigenous Peoples and their struggle to be respected as an independent actor with equal rights," Theodor Rathgeber of the Indigenous Peoples desk at GfbV said. Previously GfbV was asked for help by Mohawk delegate Kenneth Deer from Canada, one of the elected representatives of the indigenous caucus in Durban. The Indigenous Peoples want articles 26 and 27 of chapter "General Issues" to be withdrawn without substitution.

"In particular article 27 can not be tolerated by the Indigenous Peoples;" Rathgeber reported. In the article it is stated that the usage of the term "Indigenous Peoples" within the final resolution of the World Conference will have no impact on international law. This restriction is unreasonable for the Indigenous Peoples. "If the UN want to reach their self-set goal to establish a "new partnership" within the decade of Indigenous Peoples (1994-2004), this article needs to be removed immediately," the human rights activist claimed.

Article 26 strengthens discriminating acts, paternalism and suppression. It states that only those rights should be approved, which do not violate the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states. "However, it is most important to the Indigenous Peoples to state that since colonization it has been made impossible for them to live life in accordance with their own rules," Rathgeber said. Indigenous peoples - once politically independent - have been subjected to the discriminating rule of colonial masters. This discrimination persists till this day. Due to that not only the political sovereignty of the states, but also the becoming of their borders needs to be challenged critically.