First Nations Summit statement on 15th Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

September 13, 2022

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Vancouver, British Columbia – The adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the UN Declaration) fifteen years ago today – on September 13, 2007 – was a historic achievement realized through the hard work and commitment of Indigenous Peoples around the world, over a span of two decades, working collectively to advance international Indigenous human rights.

In BC, we have been buoyed by the passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) by the BC Legislature in 2019 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIPA) by Federal Parliament in 2021. These provincial and federal commitments to reconstruct the relationship with Indigenous Peoples is significant. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples must be a key component to a solid foundation to a revised and strengthened relationship between governments and First Nations Governments.