DOCUMENT: CANADA94.TXT
C A N A D A
The Permanent Mission of Canada La Mission Permanente du Canada
to the United Nations aupres cles Nations Unies
at Geneva a Geneve
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS
TWELFTH SESSION, JULY 1994
GENEVA
STATEMENT BY THE OBSERVER DELEGATION OF CANADA
DELIVERED BY
FRED CARON
July 25, 1994
Madam Chairperson,
Again the Canadian observer delegation would like to
congratulate you on your re-election as Chairperson of the
Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
Canada has had the pleasure of participating in the
activities of the Working Group and of contributing to its
deliberations almost since the beginning. During this time
Canada has accorded the Working Group our most serious
consideration of the issues before it.
Madam Chairperson, at this time I would like to emphasize
that Canada continues to support the efforts of the United
Nations to draft an instrument addressing the rights of
indigenous people. We realize full well the need for such a
document. We support the objectives of most provisions in
the current draft, and the specific wording of many. Over
the years we have expressed concerns with certain provisions
of the draft declaration. These concerns have not been put
forward as obstacles. They have been expressed for the
purpose of ensuring that the principles in the draft are
clear and easily understood as well as to ensure they can
accommodate the diverse circumstances of indigenous people
world-wide.
Canada notes that the new draft includes a provision that
ensures that all rights under the declaration are available,
without discrimination, to male and female persons, as we
suggested last year. We would like to emphasize again the
importance we place on such a provision and thank the
Working Group for accepting our suggestion that it be
included.
Madam Chairperson, the draft Declaration is now set to move
to the next stage of consideration. Let me assure you that
Canada will continue to work diligently in this process. we
will, as we have in the past, strive to work with indigenous
representatives and governments alike in order to find
constructive solutions to the issues which remain.
Cooperation between governments and indigenous organizations
and respect for each others' views is essential to the
progress of this draft Declaration.
Canada is fully supportive of continuous indigenous
participation in the future stages of consideration of this
draft. This is important both internationally as well as
domestically.
In Canada, we have met with a number of the Canadian
aboriginal groups interested in the future of the draft
Declaration. In our view it has been a most promising start
and augurs well for further meetings on all aspects of the
Declaration. We encourage and very much hope that other
governments will meet with the indigenous groups living
within their territories, in order to hear their views and
to develop solutions to issues of mutual concern.
In closing Madam Chairperson, let me once again thank you,
and all the other members of the Working Group, for your
efforts in the preparation of this draft Declaration. We
realize that your task in reconciling the views of
governments and indigenous people has not been an easy one.
You should all be proud of what you have achieved in
establishing a dialogue between indigenous people and
governments. The Government of Canada assures you that it
will spare no effort to ensure that this dialogue continues.
Thank you Madam Chairperson.
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