Friday, 15 January 2010
Commissioner Calma welcomes first UN publication on the state of the world’s indigenous peoples
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, today welcomed the launch of the United Nation’s first report on The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The report highlights how indigenous communities all over the world face daily issues of violence, continuing assimilation policies, marginalisation, forced removal or relocation, denial of land rights and many other abuses. It also reveals alarming statistics on poverty, health, education, employment, human rights and the environment.
Commissioner Calma said that we are not immune in Australia from the challenges and issues raised in this report.
Since 2005, the theme of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People has been ‘partnership for action and dignity’; strengthening international cooperation by way of action-orientated programs and specific projects.
In April 2009, the Australian Government took action by formally endorsing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The challenge now is to ensure that the Declaration continually informs and shapes government policy and program development.
“In recent years, as a nation, we have taken some giant steps forward in relation to our Indigenous peoples,” said Mr Calma.
“Our own Commission has completed significant research and undertaken projects concerning many of the key issues highlighted in the United Nation’s first report on The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
“However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain marginalised in Australia and face entrenched poverty and ongoing discrimination on a daily basis.
“We will not have provided solutions to all the challenges we face until Indigenous people have true participation and are real partners in efforts to Close the Gap in health, education, housing and have access to the same human rights protections as other Australians,” Mr Calma said.
The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples report is a collaborative effort authored by seven independent experts working with the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. It is available on the UNPFII website at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/sowip.html .
Media contact: Shymala Eswaran 02 9284 9851
