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| UN adopts treaty on native rights | UN adopts treaty on native rights |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples after 22 years of debate. | The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples after 22 years of debate. |
| The treaty sets down protections for the human rights of native peoples, and for their land and resources. | The treaty sets down protections for the human rights of native peoples, and for their land and resources. |
| It passed despite opposition from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. They said it was incompatible with their own laws. | It passed despite opposition from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. They said it was incompatible with their own laws. |
| There are estimated to be 370 million indigenous people in the world. | There are estimated to be 370 million indigenous people in the world. |
| They include the Innu tribe in Canada, the Bushmen of Botswana and Australia's Aborigines. | They include the Innu tribe in Canada, the Bushmen of Botswana and Australia's Aborigines. |
| 'Important symbol' | |
| The General Assembly passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with 143 countries voting in favour and 11 abstaining. | |
| Four nations - Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States - each with large indigenous populations, voted against. | |
| A leader of a group representing Canada's native communities criticised his government's decision to oppose the declaration. | |
| "We're very disappointed... It's about the human rights of indigenous peoples throughout the world. It's an important symbol," said Phil Fontaine, leader of the Assembly of First Nations. | |
| The Canadian government said it supported the "spirit" of the declaration, but could not support it because it "contains provisions that are fundamentally incompatible with Canada's constitutional framework." | |
| "It also does not recognise Canada's need to balance indigenous rights to lands and resources with the rights of others," a joint statement from the Canadian ministries of Indian and Foreign Affairs said. | |
| Canada has 1.3 million indigenous peoples, among a total population of 32.7 million. |