UPDATES
A report in marking the International Day of the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
During the ninthe session of UNPFII, in april 2010, three years after the UN recived the Declaration of Indigenous People, the New Zealand’s Government reversed its decision and supported the Declaration.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/hr5012.doc.htm
The
General Assembly of the UN approved a decision concerning the private and
collective rights of the indigenous peoples:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/docs/draftdeclaration.pdfOn
September 13th the General Assembly of the UN rectified a landmark decision
concerning the indigenous people. This decision was made after 20 years of
strenuous work of the different committees of the UN on human rights and
indigenous peoples. Although the decision has no legal binding it has great
importance as a statement and a message to the world.
143 countries
voted for the decision and 11 countries abstained. 4 countries voted against:
USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, all 4 countries with large number of
indigenous people.
Israel did not participate in the voting since it
took place on the eve of the Jewish New Year. See Ehud Ein Gil article in
Haaretz, October 2nd.
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/909224.html On
the decision, its background and related material you can read:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html
As indicated, members of our Forum participated in the UN sessions in
New York and Geneva, and presented the problems facing the Arab Bedouin of the
Negev (reports can be found in the Forum's site, as indicated above).
INFORMATION ON THE UN TREATY ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
(CERD)
Israel signed the treaty on March 7, 1966 and rectified it on
January 3rd, 1979.
General remarks of the Committee for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination:
Sessions of the CERD
CommitteeSession 70 - 19/2-9/3/2007: The committee reviewed the
situation in Israel and recommended the following:
