Indigenous peoples have been largely ignored in the construction of societies organized around states. Over the last twenty years, taking into account their vulnerability, the United Nations has established several bodies charged with studying problems faced by these peoples, and others have also stated relevant interests. In this context, in 1993 the General Assembly proclaimed the First International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which began on 10 December, 1994, and a second decade stated in January 2005. One of the goals of both the United Nations and the OAS is defining the rights of indigenous peoples. The Declaration of such rights, in the frame of the universal organization, was adopted in 2007. However, the text was not as widely supported as expected, and there were many abstentions and also a few but crucial votes against adoption. The following study explores the reasons of such votes and their legal consequences.
Keywords:
indigenous peoples, United Nations, resolution, declaration, human rights, oponibility, treaties.
Author Biography
Soledad Torrecuadrada García-Lozano, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Doctora en derecho y profesora titular de derecho internacional y relaciones internacionales en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Torrecuadrada García-Lozano, S. (2010). The United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples : background, consequences and prospects. Estudios Internacionales, 42(165), p. 7–32. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-3769.2010.12627
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