Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on the United Nations' attempts to reach agreement on an international declaration to recognise and protect the rights of indigenous peoples; the efforts Ireland has made to promote this declaration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7713/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years, there have been significant advances in international thinking and action on indigenous issues and rights. The first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People took place from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2004. The decade led to several positive developments, such as the establishment of a permanent forum on indigenous issues, and the appointment, in 2001, of a special rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, whose task is to gather and receive information and communications from all relevant sources, including governments, indigenous people themselves and their communities and organisations, on violations of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United Nations General Assembly, in December 2004, unanimously adopted a resolution proclaiming a second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, which commenced on 1 January 2005.

One of the initiatives arising out of the first decade was the establishment of an open ended inter-sessional working group on the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. This working group was established in 1995 in accordance with Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1995/32 and Economic and Social Council Resolution 1995/32. The working group has the sole purpose of elaborating a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, considering the draft contained in the annex to Resolution 1994/45 of 26 August 1994, entitled draft "United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples". Special measures, including financial assistance, are in place to facilitate participation by representatives of indigenous peoples in the proceedings of the working group.

The working group on the draft declaration is a subsidiary organ of the Commission on Human Rights and is composed of representatives of member states. It meets in Geneva. Ireland takes part in the working group's deliberations, as do other member states of the European Union. While the Government is well disposed to the declaration in principle, a definitive position will have to await the final text.

It was intended that the text of the draft declaration would be finalised by the working group in time for its consideration and adoption by the General Assembly during the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. This has not proved possible and work continues on a number of articles. The next session of the working group will take place in September 2005. It is expected the Commission on Human Rights, at its next session which begins on 14 March, will decide to extend the mandate of the working group by another year.