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United Nations Special Rapporteur on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples to carry out official visit to the United States
from 23 April to 4 May 2012
The United Nations
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Professor James Anaya,
will carry out an official visit to the United States of America from 23 April
to 4 May 2012.
The aim of the
Special Rapporteur’s visit to the United States is to examine the human rights
situation of the indigenous peoples of the country, that is, American
Indians/Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. During the visit,
the Special Rapporteur will hold meetings and consultations with federal and
state government officials, as well as with indigenous nations and their
representatives, in various locations.
Of particular
relevance to the visit are the implications of the United States’ endorsement,
in December 2010, of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. The Special Rapporteur will assess the ways in which the standards of
the Declaration are currently reflected in U.S. law and policy, both
domestically and abroad, and identify needed reforms or areas that need further
attention in light of the Declaration.
The results of this
assessment will be reflected in a preliminary report that will be submitted to
the United States for its comments and consideration. A final version of the
report will be circulated publicly and presented to the United Nations Human
Rights Council. The report will include recommendations to the United States,
indigenous governing bodies and, possibly, other interested parties on how to
address issues of ongoing concern to indigenous peoples.
The Special
Rapporteur has tentatively planned to visit locations in the Southwest, Midwest,
Alaska, and Washington, D.C. Further information and updates about the agenda of
the Special Rapporteur as it becomes available will be made public on the
websites of the Special Rapporteur maintained by the Office of the
HighCommissioner for Human Rights: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/SRIndigenousPeoples/Pages/SRIPeoplesIndex.aspx: and the University of Arizona: www.unsr.jamesanaya.org
Background
information on the Special Rapporteur and his mandate from the UN Human Rights
Council is available on these web sites.
The
Special Rapporteur invites indigenous peoples and organizations, and other
interested parties, to send information relevant to the visit to the United
States or any other aspect of his mandate to: indigen...@ohchr.org
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