Topic: Indigenous Land Rights
Country: United States
Delegate Name: Raymond Welch
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All United States position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
The United States of America believes that the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the current standard on this issue, is not a declaration that represents an international consensus. In a divided vote, the Human Rights Council adopted it without first allowing member nations to debate the positive and negative qualities of this declaration. Adopting a sweeping resolution without debate is not standard United Nations procedure as it could theoretically, and indeed in practice, lead to the adoption of a declaration into international law that is irreparably flawed. Conversely, a declaration that would solve the problem at hand neatly and efficiently could be stifled without the consent of the majority. Debate, the cornerstone of the United Nations, is used for a definite purpose: to grant delegates the opportunity to explain the positive and negative attributes of a declaration. Therefore, we believe that the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples holds little value to the international community.
Thankfully, debate can also be used to improve upon a declaration that would otherwise be inadequate. We believe that this summit provides us a profound opportunity to improve upon the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples and include within the document increased communication between indigenous peoples and aggressor nations and greater international support for indigenous peoples.
In an embodiment of our philosophy toward the rights of indigenous peoples, the United States of America has supported several programs that provide training and aid to indigenous peoples in South America. We are completely committed to increasing communication with indigenous peoples and raising the status of indigenous peoples throughout the world. At this summit, we hope to secure effective and pragmatic progress toward improved treatment of indigenous peoples that will remedy the flaws inherent in a document that was passed outside of standard United Nations protocol.
Respectfully submitted,
The United States of America
