“Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples”
General Statement of the U.S. Delegation of the United States of America
UN Human Rights Council – 24th Session
Geneva,
September 26, 2013
The United States is pleased to co-sponsor the resolution on “Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples.” Indigenous peoples throughout the world face grave challenges, and the United States is committed to addressing these challenges both at home and abroad.
The United States echoes the resolution’s commendation of the efforts of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In order to further improve the situation of indigenous peoples, the United States believes that we must focus on the promotion and protection of both the human rights of indigenous individuals and the collective rights of indigenous peoples, and is pleased that the resolution covers both these topics in various ways. For example, operative paragraph 12 highlights the role of treaty bodies in promoting human rights, and we commend other sections of the resolution that highlight the importance of protecting the human rights of indigenous women and children and indigenous persons with disabilities.