The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling the recommendations pertaining to indigenous people included in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights (A/CONF.157/23), in particular the recommendation that the establishment of a permanent forum for indigenous people in the United Nations system should be considered,

Recalling also the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to involve indigenous people and their communities in the United Nations programmes of environment and development as stated in article 22 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and chapter 26 of Agenda 21,

Recalling further that the programme of activities for the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/157 of 21 December 1995 recognizes among the important objectives of the Decade that consideration should be given to the establishment of a permanent forum for indigenous people in the United Nations system,

Bearing in mind its previous resolutions 1994/28 of 4 March 1994, 1995/30 of 3 March 1995 and 1996/41 of 19 April 1996, as well as General Assembly resolutions 49/214 of 23 December 1994, 50/157 of 21 December 1995 and 51/78 of 12 December 1996,

1. Welcomes the Secretary-General's review of the existing mechanisms, procedures and programmes within the United Nations concerning indigenous people (A/51/493);

2. Takes note of the recommendation of the General Assembly in its resolution 50/157 that the Commission on Human Rights, drawing on the results of the Copenhagen workshop (E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.4/1995/7 and Add.1-3) and the Secretary-General's review, consider the convening of a second workshop on the possible establishment of a permanent forum for indigenous people;

3. Welcomes the offer of the Government of Chile to host such a workshop;

4. Requests the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to convene the second workshop for a period of three days prior to the fifteenth session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, in accordance with established United Nations practice and with the participation of representatives of Governments, organizations of indigenous people, non-governmental organizations and United Nations bodies, organizations and specialized agencies and with, inter alia, the results of the Copenhagen workshop and the Secretary-General's review as the basis for discussions;

5. Recognizes the importance, in the light of the Secretary-General's review, of the participation of relevant United Nations bodies, organizations and specialized agencies as well as representatives of organizations of indigenous people in the workshop and in any further consultations on the matter;

6. Takes note of the decision of the Coordinator of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People to contribute to the holding of the second workshop through a contribution from the Voluntary Fund for the International Decade, in line with the recommendation of the Advisory Group for the Voluntary Fund at its April 1996 meeting;

7. Requests the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to transmit the report of the workshop to the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at its fifteenth session, inviting the Working Group to express its views, and to submit the report, together with any comments arising from the discussions in the Working Group, to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fourth session;

8. Also requests the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to transmit the report of the workshop to Governments, relevant United Nations bodies, organizations and specialized agencies, and indigenous organizations for their comments, and to submit the comments received in a report to the Commission at its fifty-fourth session;

9. Decides to continue its consideration of this matter at its fifty-fourth session under the agenda item entitled "Indigenous issues".

57th meeting
11 April 1997

[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XXIV.]