Agenda Item: Zero Draft WCIP document

EMRIP 7
th
Session
9 July 2014

International Organization for Self-Determination and Equality (IOSDE)
Speaker: India Reed Bowers

IOSDE is concerned and surprised by the lack of mention of self-determination in the Zero Draft
Document, as self-determination is not only the fundamental right acting as the backbone of all of
other rights enshrined within the UNDRIP and the rights of Indigenous Peoples but also the UN
Charter itself under Article 1(2), To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect
for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. It is not only of concern
that specific paragraphs obviously lack mention of the right to self-determination and/or self-
determined actions, such as paragraphs 31, 25 and 17 of the Zero Draft Document, but also that
there is no paragraph, section, theme or element of major legal redress or action designated to the
right to self-determination. Within this context, IOSDE also takes the position that a High
Representative for Indigenous Peoples should not replace the right of Indigenous Peoples, as self-
governing Peoples and including traditional leadership, to self-represent at such political and
legal bodies as the United Nations.

IOSDE recommends that if the final version of the WCIP Outcome Document is not satisfactory
for Indigenous Peoples in a full participatory, self-determining, Free, Prior Informed Consent
(FPIC) context, including fair time for consideration and without coercion concerning all issues
being decided upon, represented, excluded and agreed upon within the WCIP Outcome
document, then the right to say no, or to not provide consent, remains an option until the final
moments before a passing of the Outcome Document at the Conference. Moreover, IOSDE
suggests that the legal role/purpose of the Annexed Alta Document in the context of the WCIP
Outcome Document should be clear within the Outcome Document, as the content of the WCIP
Outcome Document itself is being created under the context of consensual agreement due to
participation. In that regard, referring to the Alta Document as the contribution []
articulating the issues of greatest importance [to Indigenous Peoples] could be replaced with, for
example, the positions held by Indigenous Peoples in the context of creating an Outcome
Document from the World Conference.

Lastly, IOSDE is happy to see much mention in the Zero Draft Document of issues concerning
violence against women, including the recommendation of utilizing the resource of the UN
Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women for assistance in addressing these issues, and for
that reason, in part, hopes such commitments to key issues will not be compromised by a lack of
addressing of the right to self-determination and self-representation therein or any lack of
adherence to FPIC in this Outcome Document process.