UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE: DISCUSSION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
09 October 2023
Statement by H.E. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Australian Mission to the United Nations
Thank you Chair, and before I commence, I would like to acknowledge that we meet here today on the traditional lands of the Lenape people.
Australia believes strongly that Indigenous voices need to be heard on issues that affect Indigenous Peoples.
And we welcome the growing international consensus to this effect
We believe in it not just because it’s the right thing to do.
We also accept the evidence that Indigenous Peoples have the knowledge, expertise, and leadership necessary to help solve some of our most critical global challenges including climate change, the environment, and supporting sustainable development.
Earlier this year, Australia appointed our first Ambassador for First Nations People.
We did so in order to ensure that we are taking practical steps to embed First Nations perspectives, experiences, and interests into the development of Australian foreign policy.
Amongst his critical first tasks, our First Nations Ambassador, Ambassador Mohamed is charged with engaging with First Nations Peoples across Australia about the international issues that matter most to them.
And one of their clear early messages to him is that Australia’s First Nations People want more opportunities to be heard on the global stage;
to share their knowledge; and to be part of the solution to the challenges the world is currently facing.
Drawing on our national experience, Australia is committed to attaching a high priority to efforts to create better opportunities for Indigenous People globally to exercise influence on issues that matter to them.
As an international community, it is our responsibility to ensure that our discussions, and our decision-making processes, are as inclusive as possible.
Every day, we see the value that diversity brings to UN meetings including here in New York, in the chambers of the General Assembly and its committees.
We support the development of a new status, separate from civil society organisations, to facilitate Indigenous Peoples’ participation at the UN.
And we support this regardless of how indigeneity is defined.
We understand there remains some contention in UN fora about the criteria to apply to the determination of who should qualify as Indigenous participants.
There is also some contention about who should determine the representation of Indigenous Peoples.
Australia does not see a need to define who is or who isn’t Indigenous.
The fact that there is no internationally agreed definition of “Indigenous” should not prevent us from finding avenues for increasing inclusivity in UN discussions.
What matters most is the contribution and the impact that people from diverse backgrounds can make
And for this reason, it is important to identify and break down the barriers that prevent the full and meaningful participation of as diverse a range of voices as possible.
The question that we have in front of us is how we reduce those barriers and make the UN a more inclusive place, in a way that addresses concerns of all Member States.
One recommendation, from discussions at the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples workshop on participation in Geneva last year, was to refer to accreditation criteria and accreditation mechanisms, instead of selection criteria and selection mechanisms.
This would provide a path forward – one focused on determining who can participate at the United Nations.
This position is consistent with the Outcome Document of the 2014 World Conference of Indigenous Peoples, and with UN General Assembly Resolution 71/321 on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and institutions in meetings of relevant UN bodies on issues affecting them.
Enhanced participation by Indigenous Peoples also gives practical effect to the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including principles of self-determination.
We look forward to our continued collective effort to advance this issue and are committed to doing our part.
And let me take this opportunity particularly to acknowledge and express appreciation for the leadership and vision of so many Indigenous Peoples’ representatives who are helping us navigate this important issue.