Indians from the Americas Gathered in Brazil Want Their Rights Spelled Out

In an effort to reach a consensus on a document to be called "An American Declaration of Indian Peoples Rights," negotiations which have been taking place since 2003 at the Organization of American States, continued this last weekend in BrasÀ­lia where delegates from some 40 Indians nations and the OAS met.

The gathering is officially called the 7th Round of Negotiations to Reach a Consensus on An American Declaration of Indian Peoples Rights.

One point of contention in the discussions is the demand by many Indian representatives for a more comprehensive statement of their rights, such as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, instead of national constitutions, which is the norm.

According to Mércio Pereira Gomes, the president of the Indian Foundation (Funai), that is a conflict that does not exist in Brazil where the Constitution, infra-constitutional legislation and the Indian Statute (Estatuto do índio) "cover 99% of what the Indians want."

Although it will not have the force of law, it is expected that when the American Declaration of Indian Peoples Rights is approved is will be complied with by OAS member states.

ABr

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazilian Ethanol Giant Cosan Buys ExxonMobil Brazil

Brazil's sugar and alcohol sector giant Cosan announced today, April 24, the purchase of ...

Brazil: Food Sector Helps Paraní¡ Boost Industrial Sales by 4.5%

Sales by industries in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná rose 4.53% between January ...

Brazilian TAM Airline Reaches 58% of International and 51% of Domestic Markets

Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) announced that TAM Brazilian Airline registered 28.1% growth ...

43% of Brazil’s GDP Represented in Business Gathering in Portugal

Telecom, a telecommunication company from Portugal with a big presence in Brazil, is organizing ...

Charming Duo

Just a few days apart in October, Pope John Paul II and President Bill ...

Brazilian Egg Becomes a Brand to Lure France, Japan and China

The Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef), in order to stimulate egg exports from Brazil,  ...

U.S. Sneezes and Brazilian Stocks Plummet

Brazil and Latin America’s stocks tumbled, in line with the U.S. market, amid concerns ...

Brazil: Verdict Against Award-Winning Journalist May Break His Newspaper

Brazilian journalist Lúcio Flávio Pinto, a journalist who has received several prizes in Brazil ...

Brazilian Judges Accused of Promoting Violence and Impunity

The Brazilian Farm Worker Union (Contag) and an international union (Uita) are launching a ...