President Obama needs to hear from you--today. He needs to know that all Americans believe that the day has come for him to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The U.S. and Canada are now the only two countries who voted against the Declaration and have not changed their position since September 2007.
Please call upon the president to endorse the Declaration now and abide by the rights and principles it sets forth. The State Department, which initiated an official review of the US position in May 2009, also participated in drafting the Declaration over a 25-year span of negotiations at the UN. There are no surprises in the document and no enforcement procedures that would trump US domestic law. Tribal leaders and human rights organizations have given several days of testimony to administration officials. Further stalling on a decision only perpetuates the shame of failing to support the most important international human rights agreement of the last 50 years.
Although declarations do not have the force of treaties, they are morally binding on countries and set international standards. Already the Declaration has been cited by courts in Belize, Suriname, and Chile in precedent-setting rulings that acknowledge Indigenous Peoples' rights. This is the promise of a Declaration that Indigenous Peoples worked 25 years to bring about.
Please send an email to President Obama today. Urge him to endorse the Declaration without reservations and abide by the rights it sets forth. Endorsement of the Declaration should be an urgent priority for his administration and not an open-ended review process.
For more information, read the Declaration and Frequently Asked Questions.
The State Department is asking for comments on the Declaration by email at Declaration@ state.gov until October 31st!