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The rights of Indigenous communities around the world are still being wideley ignored to the extent that they are being treated in a "racist and discriminatory" way, said a Mexican History researcher, while the Secretary-Genaral of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon called on society to work harder to empower them and support their aspirations.
“The interests of the indigenous peoples must be part of the new development agenda in order for it to succeed," said Ban on Friday in a speech on the 21st International Day of the World's Indegenous People. "Together, let us recognize and celebrate the valuable and distinctive identities of indigenous peoples around the world. Let us work even harder to empower them and support their aspirations.”
This date is observed since August 9, 1994, commemorating the first meeting of the U.N. Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
In Mexico City, Federico Navarrete Linares, a History researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said that the indigenous people are usually not recognized as communities that have their own history, beliefs, and their very own traditions.
He went on to say that the indigenous people in Mexico are treated "in a paternalistic, racist and discriminatory way, and they are marginalized from society."
U.N. General Assembly prepared a draft zero which will be made public September 22 in which the organization states, “We reassert our commitment to promote and encourage the rights of indigenous people already established in the international norm and universally agreed standards, including the U.N. declaration on Indigenous People Rights.”
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