Statement by: Cassandra Morin, Second Secretary, Canadian Mission to the UN
As delivered

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and my own country, Canada.

We are pleased to once again co-sponsor this important resolution, which further advances the promotion and protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

A more peaceful, prosperous, healthy, and sustainable world cannot be achieved without the full, effective and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous women and girls, have the right to

participate and take a leading role in decisions that affect them at the global, regional, and local levels.

Enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in UN fora implements the recognized right of Indigenous Peoples (and all peoples) to self-determination, which has been affirmed and reaffirmed by this Assembly. As such, Indigenous Peoples should not be conflated or confused with local communities, minority groups, or civil society organizations. The process of empowering Indigenous Peoples' representatives and institutions, duly established by themselves, to participate through the creation of a formal and distinct status must focus on their right to self-determination.

We welcome the resolution's call for Member States to take necessary measures to ensure the rights, protection and safety of all Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous leaders and Indigenous human rights defenders, are ensured, and for cases of threats, harassment and reprisals to be investigated and perpetrators held accountable. Safeguards must be in place to ensure that the UN is a place of safety for all.

We appreciate that the resolution highlights the disproportionate impact climate change has on Indigenous Peoples, and notes the need to ensure Indigenous Peoples' have the opportunity to share their traditional and ancestral knowledge, as well as the scientific and technical knowledge in both preparations and responses to climate change.

We would like to sincerely thank our colleagues from Bolivia and Ecuador for their leadership and diligent facilitation on this resolution. Our countries are committed to working actively and constructively with Indigenous Peoples, the Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples, and other Member States to advance the issue of enhanced participation, to find solutions to remaining challenges and to address other issues outlined in the resolution which are of deep importance to our countries.

Thank you, Merci.