In September 2007, United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark declaration outlining the rights of the world's estimated 370 million indigenous people.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People was approved after 143 member states voted in favour of it. Eleven states abstained and four voted against the text. Those four were Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
A non-binding agreement, the declaration sets out the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, as well as their rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, education and other issues.
Following the adoption, then-General Assembly president Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa said the importance of the document could not be underestimated. "By adopting the Declaration, we are also taking another major step forward towards the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all."
Canada's ambassador to the UN said there were significant concerns about the language in the document. John McNee called provisions on lands, territories and resources "overly broad, unclear and capable of a wide variety of interpretations."
Three years later, Canada signed on to the declaration.
"Although the Declaration is a non-legally binding document that does not reflect customary international law nor change Canadian laws, our endorsement gives us the opportunity to reiterate our commitment to continue working in partnership with Aboriginal peoples in creating a better Canada," said a November 2010 statement issued by the federal Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.
